


Welcome To The Neighborhood

by Among_Walkers_and_Angels, jackson_nicole



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Amber Heard as Kacey, Nina Dobrev as Harper, Some violence in the 5th chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 22:01:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18600244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Among_Walkers_and_Angels/pseuds/Among_Walkers_and_Angels, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackson_nicole/pseuds/jackson_nicole





	1. Chapter 1

“Kacey, if we’re gonna make it out of the heat, then you have to push harder!” Harper called from the cab of the truck as they slowly inched their way along the shoulder of the highway. Kacey glared at her sister and stopped pushing, both out of exhaustion and to piss her off. Harper stuck her brown and blonde curls out of the window, looking back at her. “Hey!”

“Listen, it’s your truck! You should push it!” Kacey said, pulling herself up and walking to the driver’s side door. “I told you, you should have just asked him to trade it in before you-”

“Don’t even mention him, Kay!” Harper said, shoving her finger in her sister’s face and climbing out. “I’ll push until we hit the next road marker, then we’re switching.”

Kacey scoffed and looked down the road at the marker that stood only a few feet away. She growled at her sister but got into the car anyway. “If I end up dying of heat exhaustion cause of all this pushing, I’m haunting your ass!”

Harper snorted and braced her hands on the bumper, giving everything she had, grinding her feet in the gravel to find some sort of traction as they inched their way closer to the marker. Behind her, Harper heard the rumble of a motorcycle and whipped her head around. Kacey also stuck her head out of the window, both sisters waiting and praying it wasn’t what they thought.

As Half-Sack rode down the asphalt, he slowed as he approached the beat up blue pick up, stopping just behind it. Harper and Kacey exchanged glances when they saw the Kutte. They could tell he was just a prospect, but they didn't know what club he was with. Grabbing the small pistol Harper kept in the glovebox, Kacey shoved it into the back of her pants and got out, going to her sister. Half-Sack hung his helmet by the handlebars and got off his bike, going over to the girls.

“Hey. You ladies havin’ some car trouble?” He asked, giving them a charming smile. The sisters exchanged a look then back to him. Harper took a good look at the patches on his Kutte, or rather, lack thereof as the only one present read ‘Prospect’. Neither of them recognized the colors which made Kacey reach a hand back to take the gun from her waistband and slip it into her sister’s.

“No. No, we’re okay.” Harper said. Kacey rolled her eyes and sighed. Half-Sack chuckled and said, “Well, you’re pushing your car.”

With another exchange between the sisters, Half-Sack chuckled and clarified, “I work at Teller-Morrow Auto. I can call one of the guys? Get the tow truck out here.”

Kacey gave a soft chuckle with a shrug and said, “We’ve already tried that. No service.”

“Well, I can help bring you guys back. We’re not too far from town.” He said. Kacey looked at her sister, who studied Half-Sack, worried about his patch. With a nod of her head toward his Kutte, she asked, “Who are you prospecting for?”

Half-Sack glanced down at the patch and chuckled as he said, “Oh, uh, Sons Of Anarchy. They’re the local MC. They actually run Teller-Morrow. Real good mechanics, those guys.”

Kacey sighed as she leaned a little closer to her sister, saying quietly in her ear, “You didn't fucking remember they ran out of Charming?!”

Harper gave her a look and retorted, “I didn't look up local MC’s while I was house hunting. There’s no site for that!”

Half-Sack couldn’t quite make out what was said, but the looks on their unsure faces said enough. “Hey, look, I, uh, I just wanted to help. I mean, it’s hot out here and everything…”

Kacey gave Harper a look, one telling her that when will they get someone else passing by to stop and help, to which Harper nodded and gave the gun back, Kacey hurrying around the car to stash it back in the glove box. Harper turned to Half-Sack and gave him a sweet smile.

“Sorry,” She said. “We’ve...Had a few run-ins with some MC’s so...You know. Just a little wary.”

“It’s all good,” Half-Sack said with a chuckle. “Uh, lemme just stash my bike and we can get going.”

~

Jax and Opie stood just outside the shop, enjoying a much needed smoke break when they watched an old beat up Ford pickup truck being rolled into the Teller-Morrow lot. Both men exchanging a brief, confused, glance when they realized it was Half-Sack sitting in the driver's seat steering. The unspoken question of who was pushing it soon answered as two dark-haired women bailed out from behind the truck at the first sight of shade.

“I swear. To fucking God, Harper! I’m gonna light that piece of shit on fire one day!” The lighter haired out of the two women swore as she all but collapsed onto the ground; the coolness of the concrete a welcome feeling.

“Would you stop fuckin’ whining already? We got it here, Jesus Christ.” The darker haired woman, Harper, replied as she sat down a few feet away, shoving her sunglasses into her hair.

“Six fucking miles, Harper!  _ Six! _ ” The other woman yelled back. “And I did most of the pushing no thanks to you!”  

“The hell is goin’ on?” Jax asked Half-Sack as he hopped out of the truck. 

“Yeah, and why the fuck weren’t you the one pushing?” Opie chimed in as he stamped out the last of his cigarette with the toe of his boot. Turning just in time to catch the lighter haired woman take off her boot and chuck it at the other woman -- catching her in the back of the head --who had turned her back in an attempt to ignore her. 

Half-Sack was about to start explaining, _ ‘I tried’,  _ being the only thing he was able to get out as the darker haired woman yelled, catching everyone's attention. “Jesus, Kacey-- what the actual fuck?!” 

“That’s for making me push most of the way, you bitch!” Kacey shouted. Harper rolled her eyes and chucked the boot back at her. Half-Sack turned to the guys and pointed at them, saying, “That’s why.”

Jax and Opie chuckled and went over to them, after calling over a few more of the mechanics to steer the truck to the shop. Jax helped Harper up as Opie offered a hand to Kacey as she shoved her boot back on. 

“Thanks,” Kacey said, giving Opie a sweet smile and checking him out as she glanced at Harper.

“No problem. You guys got engine trouble?” Opie asked. Kacey snorted and looked at Harper.

“Yes, because someone’s dumbass didn't get the car checked out before we left Oakland,” Kacey said, smiling a little too sweetly at her. Harper kept her calm smile and looked at Kacey.

“Yes. Well, if someone hadn’t gunned it down the fuckin’ highway and blew my fucking gasket, then we wouldn’t be here either.” She said, making Kacey lose her smart ass smile and grumble at her. 

“Bitch, if you didn’t drive like our fuckin’ Grandmother, I wouldn’t’ve had to drive!” 

“Seriously? What are we, five?!” Harper shot back with an eye roll as her sister stuck her tongue out, earning a chuckle from the guys who were watching with amused grins at the scene that was playing out before them.

“If you would’ve just let me pay for a fuckin’ trailer, we’d have our bikes.” Kacey grit out through clenched teeth. The thought of what could potentially be happening to her bike right this second, pissing her off even worse. 

“You mean with the money you  _ lost _ in that round of poker?” Harper scoffed.

“I was gonna win it back!” Kacey shouted.

“By getting your ass kicked in a fight ring?”

“I don’t fuckin’ lose, if you want me to prove it-” Kacey growled as she took a step towards her sister.

Jax took a step in between the two girls with a smile as he tried to defuse the situation as calmly as possible. “Ok, ladies.” He chuckled lightly. “How about we find you some air conditioning and get your paperwork started?”

“Air conditioning sounds fuckin’ amazing…” Kacey muttered, ignoring the looks she was getting from her sister as she stuck a cigarette between her lips and started fishing for a lighter. Opie offering her a light when she couldn’t find hers. 

“Sounds like it’s settled then.” Jax rubbed his hands together with a grin before gesturing back towards the garage and what looked to be an office. “I’m Jax by the way. This is Opie.”

Harper smiled at him as they broke off from Opie and Kacey, heading to the office. “Harper. That’s my sister, Kacey.” She said, taking the hand he offered and shaking it. As Jax and Harper headed up to the office, Opie gestured to the clubhouse and led Kacey inside.

“What brought you to Charming?” Jax asked as he led her inside and offered her a seat, beginning to root around the filing cabinet. Harper took off her sunglasses, folding them up and holding them in her lap as she said, “Just wanted a fresh start. New town, new faces.”

Jax glanced back at her, looking her over. He chuckled and said, “Running from your past?”

Harper gave him a look but smirked nonetheless. “Maybe…” She said. “What makes you say that?”

Jax smirked as he stuffed a bunch of papers under the metal clip of the clipboard and sat down in the chair behind the desk. “Well, the only people in Charming are the people who grew up here. We don’t get too many outsiders looking to move in.” He said, handing over the clipboard and a pen. Harper sighed, with a smirk, and took the clipboard, sitting back and crossing her legs.

“Shit. Are we that obvious?” She teased, ducking down her head to fill out the paperwork. Jax chuckled and checked her out as her pen scritch-scratched away.

“Your sister mentioned bikes?” Jax asked, with a slight turn of his head. Harper glanced up at her from behind her eyelashes and smirked.

“Uh, yeah.” She said, sitting back and tossing her hair over her shoulder. “She did.”

Jax’s smirk grew and he added, “Do you guys ride? Or are we talkin’ bicycles here?”

Harper chuckled and nodded, going back to the clipboard. “Yes. We ride.” She said with a teasing chuckle. Jax chuckled and asked, “What do you girls got?”

“We’ve both got Dyna’s. I ride a Street Bob and Kacey’s got a Super Glide.” Harper said. Jax gave a low whistle, impressed, making Harper glance up at him to give him another smirk before going back to the paperwork.

“Wow. Here I thought you were gonna come back with a dirt bike or some super-sporty model.” Jax teased. She smirked and shook her head.

“Nope. We both kind of got into cruisers from our exes.” Harper said, offhandedly. Jax smirked and sat back as he said, “Ah...That’s why.”

Harper cursed herself in her head as she looked up at him.

“Running from old boyfriends?” He teased. Harper half glanced at him before clearing her throat and shifting in her seat, not giving him an answer. Jax saw her become visibly uncomfortable and shifted as well as he said, “Hey, I-I’m sorry. I didn't mean to pry, darlin’.”

Harper shook her head as she signed the last page and looked up at him with a sweet smile. “It’s fine. We just...Don’t particularly like to think about them is all.”

Before Jax could say anything else, an older woman with black hair and blonde streaks walked in. “Hi, baby.” She said with a sigh, carrying in a small box and setting it on the desk. Jax nodded at her and smiled.

“Hey, Mom. What’s all this?” Jax asked, standing up to inspect the package. She sighed, gesturing at it, and putting a hand on her hip as she said, “Not sure. Somethin’ Clay ordered probably. Got delivered to the house from a Harley-Davidson store.”

As Harper stood and handed Jax the clipboard, the woman turned to her and smiled. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt.” She said. Jax picked up the box and took the clipboard from Harper as he said, “It’s all good. Harper, this is my mom, Gemma. Mom, this is Harper. She’s new in town and had engine trouble on the highway. Half-Sack drove them in.”

“Ah. The One-Nut Wonder to the rescue? He’s pushing for early patching, isn’t he?” She said as Jax passed, kissing her cheek before he went to the side door that connected the office to the garage, offering Harper a soft ‘I’ll be right back’. Gemma set down her purse and took Jax’s empty seat as she fired up the old computer in front of her, slipping on a pair of glasses. “So, you’re new in town? Where are you heading from?”

“Um, Oakland,” Harper said, earning a surprised glance from Gemma.

“What made you pick Charming?” She asked. Harper sat back down, but not before casting a glance back out to Jax who was talking with the mechanics that worked on her car.

“Uh, well, I said we should get out of state, but my sister wanted to stay close to home.” She said. With a quick raise of her eyebrows, Gemma said, “Oh, you’re moving in with your sister? That’s good. Gotta keep family close.”

She smiled at Harper, who gave her a small smile back. Gemma glanced out to the truck that still held all their moving boxes strapped down to the bed. Taking off her glasses and gesturing with them she said, “Where are you moving into? I’m sure we can wrangle a few of the guys to go out there with the van.”

“Oh. No. Thanks, that’s sweet, but we couldn’t impose like that.” Harper said, with a soft chuckle. Gemma smiled and said, “It’s no trouble, sweetheart. If you’re moving in, we take care of our own in Charming.”

Harper blinked, surprised, and gave a small smile. “Well...Thank you, uh, Gemma, right?” She said. Gemma smiled and nodded as Jax walked back in.

“Alright, it looks like it’s just the gasket and you guys seemed to have picked up a nail on the way in. Front right tire is flat.” Jax said. Harper smirked and gave a soft chuckle. Jax smirked and said, “What’s so funny?”

Harper stood and shoved her sunglasses back into her hair and said, “Nothing. Just that now there’s a reason why I can rub it in Kacey’s face that I  _ was _ pushing the whole way. It got a lot harder once we rolled into town. Now, we know why.”

Jax snickered as Harper went to the door, glancing around the lot at all the bikes and cars. Jax handed the clipboard to Gemma and asked, “Hey, Mom, can you put them into the system?”

“Sure, baby,” Gemma said with a smile, taking the clipboard from him. “Oh, and give those girls a drink, will you?  _ They _ pushed the whole way here? No help from Half-Sack? Smack him for me.”

Harper looked at Gemma and giggled as Jax nodded with a smirk. “Sure thing, Mom. Already planned on it.” Jax said, kissing her cheek again before going to Harper and gesturing to the clubhouse, mentioning a nice cold beer that made Harper quicken her pace.

~

Kacey was more than willing to wait at the clubhouse until the car was fixed, Jax and Harper having walked into the clubhouse to find Kacey sitting on Opie’s lap, sipping a beer.

“Well, don’t we look cozy?” Harper teased as she leaned against the bar, Jax slipping onto a bar stool beside her, smirking and snickering at his best friend. Kacey flipped her off as she smirked and took another sip of her beer. She climbed off Opie’s lap and made her way over to the bar, Harper swiping the bottle from her hand.

“Rude,” Kacey said, bumping Harper’s hip with a smirk. “Hey, Half-Sack, can we get two more?”

“Yeah. Sure thing.” He said with a smile, ducking down to feel around in the cooler. Kacey slipped onto the barstool on Harper’s other side and turned to her as she said, “So what’s the damage?”

“Well, you’ll be  _ delighted _ to know,” Harper said, turning to her with a smirk. “We picked up a nail. Flat tire. That’s why it was harder to push.”

Kacey made a face at her and mimicked her softly as Half-Sack came over to them, opening the bottles and handing one to Jax, then one to Harper once Kacey swiped her bottle back. Jax took a sip of his beer before he said, “You girls shoulda just let Sack push. He’s strong...Enough.”

Opie chuckled as Jax swiped at Half-Sack, catching the back of his head. Half-Sack rubbed his head and gave a small smile. “Hey, man. I told them I could push. I offered to even hook up my bike and try to ride back! They didn't let me.” Half-Sack said. Harper giggled and pointed her bottle at him as it left her lips.

“We didn't let you because we just needed someone to steer. If our cousin had been with us, he’d be steering too.” She said. Kacey chuckled and shook her head as Opie leaned on the bar next to her with a smirk.

“Next time, just be a man and tell them you’re pushing. Don’t bitch out.” Opie said. The group laughed at Half-Sack’s expense, who half-heartedly laughed along with them before going back to sweeping up behind the bar. Jax shifted in his seat and turned to the sisters.

“So, Harper tells me you two ride,” Jax said, taking another drink. Kacey shot a glare at her sister and said, “We _ used _ to ride. But we are, as of now, sans bikes…”

Harper gave a small sigh and said, “Listen, bitch...If you didn't gamble every dollar you got, we’d have the bikes  _ and _ we wouldn’t have  _ my _ truck in the shop.” Turning to look at her sister as she spoke, pausing for effect, she added, “Do not. Start with me.”

Opie snickered and shook his head, glancing at Jax, who was equally amused.

“And like I said earlier, if  _ you _ would have just _ trusted  _ me, I’d have won it all back; plus interest!” Kacey shot back. “I mean come on, Harper, you don’t miss; I don’t lose?” She nudged her with a shoulder. Harper simply rolled her eyes. 

“Or you know...if I could’ve grabbed all my tools, I would’ve just fixed that damn truck myself,” Kacey added.

“And who’s fault was that?” Harper replied, shaking her head as Kacey’s hand shot up. Earning a chuckle from the guys.

“And you can bet your ass I’d do it again in a fuckin’ heartbeat,” Kacey added, mumbling the last part more or less to herself. “Bitch fuckin’ deserved it.”

“So, you’re a mechanic then?” Opie asked, opting to change the direction of the conversation in an attempt to ease the tension building again between the two sisters.

“No, not technically.” Kacey chuckled with a soft grin as she pushed a hand through her light brown locks, turning to him. “But I know enough to usually get us by...most of the time.”

“Well, maybe I could show you around the garage sometime. Teach you some stuff?” Opie stated, earning sly grin out of Kacey as she finished off her beer. Opie motioning for Half-Sack to grab another as she set the bottle at the edge of the bar.

“I’d like that.” Kacey gave a genuine smile that time around; Opie was about to offer to show her around now, if they had the time, when Gemma came strolling in through the main entrance. Both woman turning to look at her, hoping for good news of the truck. Only that wasn’t the case.

“You girls want the good news or the bad news?” Gemma addressed Harper as she leaned a hand against the bar; propping the other on her hip. Both Harper and Kacey gave a collective groan as they braced themselves.

“Well the tire was an easy fix,” Gemma stated. “We have all the necessary parts to fix the blown head gasket…but, you’re radiator is shot. I had to order a new one and it won’t be here till Thursday. Early next week at the latest.” 

“Jesus…” Kacey sighed. “Please tell me that wasn’t the good news?” 

“No.” Gemma chuckled softly. “Good news, for you girls, is I saw on the paperwork that your address is only a couple doors down from my place.” The girls exchanged a glance before turning back to Gemma, who had turned her attention to her son and Opie. “And you two, have the pleasure of giving the other guys a hand loading up their stuff into the van and taking it over.”

“Oh, that’s really not necessary. I mean, I feel like we’ve probably already imposed enough--” Kacey tried to politely decline, stopping when Gemma held up a hand to silence her.

“Nonsense, Sweetheart. Like I told your sister here; you’re movin’ to town, and we take of our own.” 

Kacey nodded and gave her a smile before reaching out a hand to introduce herself. “Kacey. And thank you. We really appreciate the hospitality...it’s a pleasant change.” She chuckled.

“Gemma; and anytime. You girls seem like decent people.”

“That could be left open for debate.” Kacey chuckled as she climbed off her barstool and stretched a little before grabbing her beer. Turning her attention to her sister. “Meet you outside?”

“Yeah, Taz. Be there in a sec.” Harper said. “I wanna be able to enjoy my drink?”

Kacey stuck out her tongue at her sister and giggled as Opie escorted her out as they followed Gemma. Harper gave her sister a small smile, it growing a little more when her gaze fell to Jax for a brief minute before she stared down at the bottle in her hand, picking at the label. Jax smirked and called out, “Sack. Go help Kacey and my mom. Don’t make her do it.”

“Right. Yeah.” Half-Sack said, dropping his broom and running out after the trio. Harper sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, slightly, and her smile grew to a smirk. She took a drink then turned to Jax. Jax chuckled and gave her a small smirk.

“So, I guess we’ll be seeing a lot more of you ladies soon.” He teased. Harper chuckled and crossed her legs as she turned in her chair.

“Yup. Looks like it.” She said. Jax’s smirk grew and he chuckled.

“Well. I meant that you’re living next to my mom.” Jax said. Harper nodded and teased, “Right. Forgot about that.”

Jax chuckled as he slid off his barstool and offered her a hand. Harper chuckled and polished off her beer before taking his hand and slipping down. Jax led her out to the lot where they saw Opie directing the van back to the garage, while Kacey chatted up Tig and Juice.

“Hey. Jackie Boy.” Chibs called, as he approached them. “Yeh’re mum’s demandin’ yeh’r assistance. Won’ get off our balls till we get yeh out here.”

Chibs chuckled and slung an arm around Jax’s neck as he accompanied them to the garage.

“Mom. You’re making all of these guys come with us?” Jax asked with a chuckle as Juice opened the van doors and Half-Sack and Tig started transferring the boxes. Gemma turned to him and smiled.

“No. ‘Course not. But these girls have been through a lot today. They can take a break. We’ve got big, strong men just crawling around this place.” Gemma said with a chuckle. Kacey stood at her side and snickered.

“Yes. Yes, you do…” She said, giving Juice a once over as he leaned into the van to hand a box to Half-Sack. She turned down the corners of her lips, before turning back to them. Jax and Gemma chuckled while Harper rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but smirk at her sister.

“Hey, listen, Gemma. We really appreciate all this help. If there’s anything we can ever do? Dinner, lunch...Super Bowl?” Harper offered with a chuckle. Gemma chuckled as well and gave Harper a hug.

“Don’t sweat it, doll. You’ll get used to Charming hospitality.” She said. Harper smiled and stepped closer to her sister to begin whispering about the guys as they packed up the van.

~


	2. Chapter 2

Within the hour, Harper and Kacey were unpacking the van along with the guys into their garage. When Gemma began asking what rooms the boxes went to, they were quick to shut down her unspoken request. To compensate, Gemma invited the girls over for a little club party she was having at her house the next night. Once they agreed and got rid of Gemma, now they had to face the guys.

“You ladies sure we can’t help out anymore?” Tig asked with a smirk. Juice and Jax exchanged a look and snickered while Opie shook his head and smirked. Harper smirked as she sat on top of her dresser while Kacey stood from setting down the final box. She turned to him and smirked, after tossing a glance back to her sister.

“We’re sure. We can take it from here.” She said, taking a few steps closer, as she added, “But if we need anymore help with any, um, lifting? You’ll be our first call.”

Harper snickered and shook her head as Tig smirked at Kacey while she walked away, going to lean on the dresser next to Harper. “Seriously. We can finish. Thanks for helping us out though.” Harper said, jumping down from her spot and going to Jax as Opie rounded the guys up, back into the van. Jax smiled and slipped an arm around her neck as she and Kacey walked with him to the driver’s side.

“No problem, darlin’. It’s what we do.” He said, removing his arm as he opened the door. “Just think of us as your Friendly Neighborhood Biker Boys.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Harper said, closing the door after Jax got in. She leaned against the door, folding her arms over the window and said, “Let me know about that estimate ASAP? I’m gonna need to find a job quick.”

Jax chuckled and nodded as he started the car, then leaned back in his seat. “Oh, for sure. Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. Just get settled and I’ll give you a call.”

“Or we’ll see you at the club when you have to escape the clutches of Mama Gemma.” Tig said, piping up from the back as he leaned forward between Jax and Opie. Opie pushed him back and chuckled as Kacey giggled.

“Oh, come on. She’s not that bad.” Kacey glanced at her sister with a smirk and said, “We’ve endured worse.”

Harper shook her head and pushed off from the door, taking a step back. “See ya.” She said. Jax smirked as he put the car in gear, offering her a wink and a smile before they took off down the street. Harper sighed and followed Kacey back into the garage, closing it once they were both inside. Once the door shut, both sisters stood in place and looked at each other before sharing a groan, then began to haul boxes in.

“Let’s start with the kitchen.” Harper said, lifting a box labeled ‘Plates-Bowls’. Kacey nodded and grabbed another box, then followed her sister inside. They spent the better part of an hour and a half unpacking their kitchen and living room before they went to Harper’s room. When Kacey set down the last of Harper’s boxes, she stood, sighed, and said, “Do you really think we should be doing this?”

“Unpacking?” Harper asked, pulling out a few framed pictures and setting them on her dresser. She paused a moment, then looked at her sister and said, “Yeah.”

“Piss off.” Kacey said, annoyed, as she opened the box. “I meant with the club. Come on, Harper, you can’t tell me this is a smart thing to do.”

“Kay.” Harper sighed and turned to her, leaning against the dresser and watching as Kacey started hanging clothes in the closet. “I didn’t know the Sons ran out of Charming. Nico never said anything about where they were. You know he didn’t tell me everything about their business.”

“Yeah, but still.” Kacey sighed, shaking her head. She stood, facing the closet, and ran both her hands through her hair before turning to Harper. “This isn’t a good idea. If Nico and Bastien come looking for us…It won’t end well and we could end up getting everyone killed…Again.”

“That was not our fault!” Harper said, straightening and pointing a finger at her. “That little bitch Sara had it coming. This is her fault not ours. And besides, it was one guy, Kacey. Jesus. Stop being so dramatic.”

Harper turned and bent to open another box of clothes. As she leaned back to sit down and begin folding, Kacey said, “That doesn’t matter! I started the fight and you’re my sister! You retaliated for me and that’s when shit went-”

“Kacey, enough!” Harper shrieked, turning to her and glaring at her. “It happened, it’s over, no one else fucking died. Stop being dramatic about this. If they find out who we are, their feelings of kindness toward us can change real quick. We wanted a fresh start, Kay. This is it. We screw this up, and it’s fucking over.”

Kacey gave a small huff, but knew her sister was right. She finished putting the clothes in the closet and left her sister to her own devices as she stared on her room, slowly.

~

It was late the following morning when Kacey finally managed to drag herself out of bed and into the shower. Finding a note from Harper taped to the mirror letting her know that she had gone into town to start looking for a job, and that she would meet up with her later before the party at Gemma’s. Kacey groaned outwardly as she discarded the note into the trash, knowing she needed to do the same…job hunting easily falling into her category of least favorite things to do. Meaning this day was going to require coffee, and a lot of it. So after plugging her iPod into the living room stereo and cranking some old 80’s tunes, she fired up the coffee pot and jumped in the shower to begin getting ready for the day.

Kacey had just finished applying a little black eyeliner and mascara after throwing on her favorite jeans and a cropped Def Leppard tank-top. She was in the midst of brushing out her hair as she rocked out to ‘ _Sweet Child O’ Mine_ ’, when a sudden banging sound from the front door caught her attention; causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

She waited a few seconds in hopes that maybe whoever it was would go away, but the knock sounded again; this time a little more aggressively. Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest by that point as she ducked out of the bathroom and into her room; grabbing her Colt .38 Super from under her pillow and making her way to the front door.

Kacey cocked the hammer back gently as she moved to peek through the curtain of the side window next to the door, breathing a small sigh of relief when she found Opie standing patiently on the front porch. His attention turning back to the door when he caught the faint sound of the deadbolt being unlocked, a small grin tugging at his lips as Kacey finally opened the door. His hazel eyes drifting briefly to catch sight of the pistol she still held in her in her left hand.

“Expecting company?” He arched a brow curiously as he nodded to weapon. Watching intently as she uncocked the hammer and clicked the safety back into place before tucking it into the back of her jeans.

“Always.” Kacey smirked, leaning inside to turn down the stereo before she leaned a shoulder against the door frame and crossed her arms over her chest; blue eyes studying him carefully.

“Sorry if I startled you.” He apologized. “Jax and I ran into your sister in town. She said you were still home, and probably in need of a lift.”

“No worries.” Kacey chuckled as she pushed away from the door and stepped aside, gesturing for him to come in. “Coffee?” She asked as they rounded the corner into the kitchen and she began searching for what cabinet they put the mugs in.

“Ain’t it a little late in the day for that?” Opie chuckled as he looked up at the clock above the stove that read  _12:30pm_.

“Ok, first off; it is never too late in the day for coffee…never.” Kacey replied as she finally found the mugs and pulled down two from the shelf before filling them both and handing one to Opie. “Secondly…you don’t like coffee, we can’t be friends.” She smirked.

“Fair enough.” Opie laughed as he accepted the mug from her and took a sip. Things falling silent between them for a moment before he cleared his throat and asked. “So, you almost ready?”

“Yeah.” Kacey nodded as she picked up her mug and started for the hallway. “Just let me grab my vest real quick. She said, disappearing into her bedroom to grab a red plaid over shirt; tugging it on before putting her black leather vest on over it. Slipping on her rings and leather bracelet before returning to the kitchen and finishing off her coffee, making sure to rinse out the empty mugs. Turning the stereo off and locking all the doors before finally heading out to Opie’s truck that sat in the driveway.

“ _‘85_  Dodge Power Ram. Nice.” Kacey mused as they approached the cream and tan colored pick up truck, Opie stopping to open the door for her, a look of surprise on his face.

“You know trucks too?” He asked as he slid into the driver’s seat behind her, noting the sly smirk on her lips as she slid her aviators onto her face and settled into the middle seat.

“I know a thing or two.” She shrugged.

“I’m startin’ to think you know more than just a thing or two.” Opie chuckled as he turned the key, the engine roaring to life as he shifted it into reverse. Using the opportunity to slip his arm behind her as he turned to look over his shoulder while backing the truck out of the driveway.

“I’m full of surprises.” Kacey replied. “We’ll just leave it at that for now.”

“Alright then, Miss full of surprises; where we headed?” Opie asked as he glanced over at her from the corner of his eye.

“The responsible adult in me says to go look for a job…the not so responsible adult in me on the other hand, says to look for the nearest bar.” Kacey laughed. “But, if I don’t at least try and find a job today, Harper will probably kill me…soooo.”

“Responsibility it is.” Opie chuckled as he turned and headed towards town, where they spent the next couple of hours hitting up every place that had a ‘ _Help Wanted_ ’ sign up in their window. Kacey finally calling it quits after the Sixth or Seventh place in row that declined before asking her to politely leave.

“No luck?” Opie asked as she climbed back into the truck, noting the redness that tinted her ears and slowly crept its way up her chest onto her neck as she struggled to keep her temper in check. Rolling down the passenger side window as she pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a much needed drag and relishing in the rush of nicotine that swept over her; calming her nerves a bit.

“Would you fuckin’ believe it that, ‘ _apparently_ ’,” She spoke in a mocking tone, making quotation marks with her fingers before ashing her cigarette out the window. “ _I’m not a people person_.”

“You don’t say?” Opie teased, wincing as her fist connected with his arm. “Ow.” He chuckled, rubbing his bicep as she smirked back at him before taking another drag and offering him her pack of smokes as a peace offering.

“Remind me never to piss you off.” He added, passing her smokes back to her. Lighting the cigarette between his lips before backing out of the parking space. Not even attempting to hide his grin as she scooted back across the bench seat into the middle and got comfortable. “So, to the Bar then?” He questioned.

“I thought you’d never ask.” She replied with a fake southern accent, hands flying up over her heart as she feigned a dreamy sigh, tipping her head back onto his shoulder as she batted her lashes up at him; erupting into a fit of giggles at his expression while she pushed her sunglasses back into place and sat up a little.

“Alright Miss Daisy. Calm your shit.” Opie chuckled as he draped his hand over her shoulder. Kacey’s own hand drifting to rest on his thigh in return for the rest of the drive back to the Clubhouse.

~

Things at the Clubhouse were still pretty laid back when Opie and Kacey pulled in. Most of the guys still getting cleaned up and ready for the party later at Gemma’s. But three shots of Jameson and a couple beers later, Kacey found herself behind the bar in a competition to out bartend Half-Sack. The room filled with hoops and hollers as the guys hounded on the poor kid, giving him a ration of shit as he struggled to keep up with her; it obvious that she had more experience behind a bar than he did.

“Oi! It look’s like y’er abou’ ta lose y’er position as Barmaid, there, Sacky mah boy!” Chibs howled with laughter as the rest of the guys following suit, all throwing in their own mix of comments. Kacey shook her head with a chuckle as she shed her plaid overshirt and vest, leaving her in the cropped tank that only gave a glimpse to the number of tattoos she had. Opie having a hard time keeping his gaze off of her as she worked.

“I swear to God, Brother, if you don’t hit that, I’m goin’ to.” Tig stated lowly as he took a seat beside Opie at the bar; blue eyes fixed to Kacey like a vulture that just spotted fresh roadkill. Opie all but shoving Tig off his barstool in return. Tig snickered and stood, straightening his Kutte as he said, “Hey, man. Easy, My Giant. I was only sayin’.”

Tig smirked and offered a playful punch to Opie’s shoulder before he walked away. While the competition continued, outside, Harper rolled into the lot on the back of Jax’s Harley. Harper swung her leg over the bike and removed her helmet as Jax did the same, hanging his off his handlebars before getting off the bike and taking the spare from Harper. She gave him a sweet smile and said, “Thanks for the ride. I did not want to have to get in another taxi.”

Jax chuckled and said, “No problem, darlin’. Your truck should be finished soon. Gemma made us put a rush on it.”

He snickered as Harper rolled her eyes while he slipped an arm around her neck, the both of them walking toward the clubhouse. “Please don’t? I don’t need our only car up and dying on us. We don’t know when our bikes are gonna be here, so we need something.” Harper said as Jax opened the door for her.

“That’s what we told her, but she’s still making it our top priority.” He said. Harper’s next polite decline was cut off as the roar from the guys grew as Kacey raced to stack the beer glasses under the bar, while Half-Sack struggled to pour all his shots before she was done. Kacey damn near broke the last glass as it slammed in place and she cried out, shooting her arms up in the air with a laugh. Cheering erupted from the guys as Half-Sack sighed and leaned against the wall, thankful it was over.

“Oh, dear God.” Harper said, pushing her glasses back into her hair, watching her sister get scooped up and twirled around by Opie before setting her down and the two of them passing out shots. “Tazzy. Sweetie.”

Kacey turned and beamed at her sister, taking a moment to down her shot and Opie’s before bouncing over to her. “Hi! Did you find a job?!” Kacey squeaked, her eyes already tinting red, the reek of whiskey on her breath. Harper scrunched up her nose and took her sister’ arm, leading her to a barstool before she keeled over.

“Jesus, Opie. I said give her a lift not get her lit.” Harper said, with a soft chuckle, as she asked Half-Sack for a glass of water.

“Hey, she said she was good. She’s in good hands here.” Opie said.

“Yeah, yours.” Jax teased. Kacey giggled and said with a hiccup, “Stop worrying, Harps. I’m f-fine.”

“Uh-huh. Did  _you_  find a job today?” Harper asked, giving her sister a look and pushing the water toward her as Half-Sack set it down. Chibs descended on the sisters, slipping an arm around Kacey’s neck and said, “Oh, I’m sure Clay woulna mind lettin’ her have a job ‘ere. Natural born barmaid, this one.”

Harper smirked and said, “Natural born? This whore has worked in four different bars. She knows what she’s doing.”

“Hey!…I’m not a whore…” Kacey said, pouting a little. Harper gripped her sister’s chin, lightly, and shook it as she said, “A bar whore. Barbacking for you is like…Well, riding for me. You love it, you’re good at it, and if I were to get paid, I’d make big bucks.”

Harper giggled at her own joke and leaned against the bar. Chibs chuckled and said, “Well, once t’e boss hears about t’is, he’ll probably hire ye on t’e spot.”

“Hey, man, I tried!” Half-Sack called, from down the bar.

“Yeah, and she still creamed ye!” Chibs called, howling in laughter as he joined Juice and Tig at the other end of the bar. Harper held a polite smile and laugh until Chibs was out of earshot, Jax excusing himself to go talk to Opie. Once they were out of earshot, Harper’s smile faded and she leaned closer to Kacey, tugging on her arm and whispering harshly, “Are you fucking insane?!”

Kacey blinked at the sudden movement and looked at her. “What? I got a job.” She said. Harper shook her head.

“At the clubhouse? Are you serious? Did we not just have a discussion last night about the club?!” Harper whispered, glancing around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. Kacey sighed and leaned her arms on the bar.

“Harper, I’m sorry. But…Harp I was refused at like 10 places today. They took one look at me and then Opie and made up some bullshit excuse about why I wasn’t a good fit.” Kacey said. Harper shook her head and sighed, pushing her hands through her hair in irritation. The last thing they needed was for Kacey to get the job and the club found out about their connections and toss them out on their ass. That was one thing Harper wasn’t willing to risk. “Harper, look. We need the money to pay for the truck and the house. Maybe I can talk to Clay about working on the truck myself that way we don’t have to pay labor, just parts? And I can put in a shit ton of hours here so it compensates.”

“Kace…I-I don’t know about this… What if-” Harper said, her features taking on an extremely worried look. Kacey put a hand on her sisters arm and said, “Harper. You’ve got to trust me. I won’t say anything about Nico and Bastien.”

“Yeah, unless you get too drunk.” Harper said, giving her a look. Kacey gave her one right back and said, “That was once and it was about my embarrassment so can we drop that please?! I’m not gonna fuck up again, Harps! I promise.”

Harper glanced down at Jax and the guys, then back to her sister. “You fuck up and you’re pushing that car, I don’t care how far, if it breaks down again…” She said, giving her a look. Kacey smiled and wrapped her arms around Harper’s neck with a squeal. Harper’s hard exterior cracked and she smiled, hugging her sister back. As they broke apart, Jax came back over to them with a charming smile and said, “Hey, did you girls want a lift back to your place? Me and Opie have to get to Gemma’s a little early to help set up for the party.”

Harper gave him a sweet smile and nodded. “Yeah. Sure, thanks.” She said. Jax smiled and nodded, calling for Opie and telling the girls he’d meet them outside. Kacey grabbed her overshirt and vest from behind the bar and they walked out with Opie to the bikes.

~

Kacey and Harper split off from Jax and Opie as they headed down the street to Gemma’s. Harper quickly jumped in the shower while Kacey changed. Once Harper pulled on her black boots and zipped them up, giving herself a once over in the mirror to make sure everything looked good, she called for Kacey and they both walked down to Gemma’s.

“Just don’t fuckin’ drop the thing, Jackson!” Gemma called as she opened the door. When she turned around and saw the sisters, she smiled and ushered them in. “Hey, you guys made it. How was the first night?”

“Good. I slept good at least.” Harper said with a chuckle. Kacey mimicked her sister, behind her back, and rolled her eyes with a smirk. Harper glanced back at her before turning back to Gemma and said, “Hey, thanks for all the help yesterday. We really appreciate it.”

“Oh, honey. It’s not a problem. If you girls ever run into trouble, just give us a call.” Gemma said, with a smile. “The guys are out back. You girls just make yourselves at home.” Gemma added before disappearing into the kitchen. Leaving the sisters to find their way out to the backyard.

“Aye! Parties ‘ere!” Chibs yelled as the girls stepped out into the backyard, giving it a once over and finding the guys were still in the process of setting up a few things. “C’mere an’ give us a hand, will ye?”

The girls ventured over without a second thought, helping Chibs pull some lawn chairs down from the shed and set them up around the yard and patio area. Kacey reaching up on her tiptoes to grab the last chair, struggling as it was just out of her reach. She was starting to get frustrated when a hand reached over her head and grabbed it. Turning around she found Opie who was smirking down at her, making Kacey glare back playfully in return.

“Don’t.Say.A.Word.” She warned.

“Wee bit sensitive abou’ our height, are we?” Chibs joked from behind him as he took the chair and stepped aside so that they could close up the shed. Kacey glowering at everyone who was now snickering quietly at the joke.

“Easy, Taz.” Harper chuckled as her sister moved passed on her way to the cooler. Muttering under her breath about not being that short as she grabbed a beer and took a seat up on the patio; pouting with a childish look on her face.  

“Hey, why do you call her Taz?” Jax asked, opening his beer as he took a seat across from Kacey. “I noticed you called her that a few times today.”

Harper snickered as she leaned against Jax’s chair. “Are you sure you wanna get into this now?” She asked, glancing down at him before looking to her sister. Jax smirked and took a sip, settling himself for a good story. Kacey rolled her eyes and took a sip before she said, “I get a little crazy when I get mad…”

“A little crazy? Sis, you’re not named after the Tasmanian Devil for fuckin’ nothing.” Harper chuckled. Jax snickered into his beer as he sat up.

“No shit?” He asked, looking from Kacey to Harper. She snickered as well and nodded.

“I believe it almost came to criminal mischief…What? 10 times?” Harper said. Jax laughed and looked at Kacey.

“Shit, how was it only almost? What did you do?” Jax asked.

“Hey, listen, if you don’t want your girlfriend getting a hold of your precious guns and using your precious ‘50’s El Camino, then why keep them in the same place, let alone piss off your girlfriend?” Kacey said, as Opie walked up to them.

“Ouch. Who pissed you off?” Opie said with a wince and a chuckle. Harper chuckled, but gave Kacey a warning look. Kacey shook her head and said, “An ex.”

“Jesus, is the car ok?” Opie joked. Everyone giving off an array of horrified expressions and sounds as Kacey mimicked an explosion with her hands before returning to her beer. Harper smirked and couldn’t help but add a ‘Ba-boom.’

“Guard your keys, boys.” Jax chuckled.

“Maybe just your valuables in general.” Kacey snorted. “And don’t piss off the Devil.” She added, casting a sideways glance and smirk in Opie’s direction as the group had a good laugh. Gemma walked out carrying a bowl of fruit salad, but stopped when she saw everyone gathered around the table.

“Hey. People are gonna start showing up here in a few minutes. I’d like to have this place set up before then?” Gemma said, squeezing between Jax and Harper to set down the bowl. She swiped the beer from Jax’s hand and gave him a look, but taking his beer was enough to get him out of his seat. Jax patted Opie on the back as he turned away to head back over to where Clay and Piney were setting up some more tables. Gemma chuckled and shook her head, taking a sip from the beer before setting it down. Harper took one last sip from her beer as well before setting it down and asking Gemma, “Did you need some help in the kitchen?”

Gemma smiled at her and said, “I’ve got a few of the girls in there. I’m okay.”

“Come on, Gem. We’re good cooks!” Kacey chimed in, standing up and moving to stand next to Harper.

“Gemma, it’s the least we can do.” Harper said with a smile. Gemma chuckled and crooked a finger at them as she started walking back to the house.

~


	3. Chapter 3

Just as Gemma and the sisters set down the last plate on the buffet style set up in the backyard, members and their families began filing in. Kacey and Harper stuck mostly to themselves, interacting with a few Old Ladies that came up to them, otherwise, they were with a few of the guys. As the party wound down, only Clay, Gemma, Jax, Opie, Half-Sack and Piney still there, Harper and Kacey joined the guys at the table after helping Gemma clear away the food. Clay and Piney sat inside enjoying a late night cup of coffee. Kacey had gotten quite comfortable with Opie and ended up in his lap as she sucked down the last of her beer while Harper sat next to Jax, an arm tossed over the back of her chair.

“Okay…One more and then you need to cut me off, Sis.” Kacey said, setting her bottle down a little harder than intended, making a loud clank against the glass table. Half-Sack jumped up and went to the cooler, fishing around for a few cold beers before he came back, sliding one to Kacey and two over to Jax and Opie. “Awe. Thanks, Half-Sack. I wanted my sister to get it…But thank you.”

Her voice turned honey sweet, a very sensitive drunk, she was. And wiggled in Opie’s lap as he took it from her, twisting off the cap and handing it back to her with a smirk. Harper took a drink from the beer still in her hand, tilting the bottle toward him a little, and said, “Yeah. By the way, why do they call you Half-Sack?”

Half-Sack chuckled and stood, a little drunk himself, he started to undo his belt as he said, “Well, I was in Iraq. Lost my left nut to an aper frag-”

A collective shout and protest erupted the second they heard his belt clank. With a sheepish smile, Half-Sack buckled himself back up and sat down, picking up his own beer and sipping on it. The girls giggled and exchanged looks and a shake of their heads while Opie and Jax merely chuckled. Harper took one last sip and set her bottle down as she stood.

“Well, as much fun as that would have been…” She started with a chuckle, looking to her sister, then Jax, with a sweet smile. “I think we should be heading home. Unlike some people…”

Harper gave her sister a look accompanied by a smirk and finished, “I got a few interviews today and we desperately need jobs.”

“Want us to walk you home?” Jax offered, standing up as well. Harper smiled and gave a small nod.

“Sure. Thanks.” She said, sweetly. Jax followed Harper inside to say goodbye and thank you to Gemma and Clay while Kacey giggled and slid off Opie’s lap. Opie kept a hold of her arm as she swayed a little, helping her back into her jacket. With a hiccup and a giggle, she said, “Thank you, Opie.”

Opie chuckled and said, “Let’s get you home, darlin’.” Kacey gave a small ‘hmm’ of approval as she wrapped an arm around Opie’s waist for support; tucking herself into his side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and urged her forward. Pausing a few times on their way through the house as Kacey said goodbye to Gemma, Clay and a few of the guys before they finally made it outside.

Opie was careful not to walk too fast, not just due to their height difference and the fact Kacey was more than a little drunk. But also because he wasn’t quite ready for the night to be over yet, especially since it was such a short walk from Gemma and Clay’s.

“Doin’ alright?” He asked, slowing down a little bit more as Kasey stumbled over her feet a little. Opie tightening his grip to keep her from falling, chuckling a little as she glanced up at him with a drunken crooked smile.

“Mhm…I’m good.” She sighed, leaning her head against his side. It was only a few more steps she was able to take before she missed the crack in the sidewalk and was suddenly gone from Opie’s side. Thankfully, Opie saw it just as she went down and scooped her up before she could hit the ground.

“My hero.” She snorted with a laugh, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as she tried to muffle the fact she had actually just snorted. Embarrassed when it happened a second time, and she buried her face against his chest in an attempt to hide.

“Let’s get you to bed, hm?” He chuckled as they started walking again, the vibrations of the laugh rumbling through his chest, making Kacey snuggle closer as she closed her eyes. The motion of his strides almost lulling her to sleep until he paused outside her front door. “Shit… I need your keys.

Kacey fumbled around in her pockets for a couple seconds before she finally found them, holding them up a couple inches from Opie’s face before getting herself comfortable again as he found the correct key and managed to get the door unlocked. Kicking it closed with his boot as he stepped inside and started hunting for a light switch; finally coming across a lamp near the couch and clicking it on.

“You still with me?” He questioned, shifting her around in his arms a little as he moved around the front of the couch.

“Yeah.” She nodded against his chest, sounding a little less than coherent as Opie lowered her onto the couch carefully. He was almost certain she had passed out when he felt the toe of her boot catch the side of his foot and take it out from under him, causing him to fall forward; his face a couple inches from hers as he caught himself.

Kacey bit her lip lightly as she stared up at him, Opie chuckling softly, meeting her gaze as he allowed his hand to move up and caress her cheek gently. Staring for a few more seconds before Kacey closed the gap and pressed her lips to his. Her own hand finding its way into his hair as she made a move to further the kiss, groaning as Opie’s phone started going off in his pocket and forcing them to break away so he could check it.

“Shit…” He muttered as he looked at the screen before silencing it, about to apologize when Kacey raised a hand to silence him.

“It’s cool.” She chuckled drunkenly as she sat up slightly. “Harper will be here soon anyway; I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?” Opie asked, the corners of his lips turning down slightly. “I can stay till she gets here if you want me to?”  

“Nah, I’m sure.” Kacey shook her head lightly with a small smile as she dismissed the offer. Knowing herself better than to accept an offer like that when she was this drunk. Not wanting to screw things up quite so soon. “I’ll be fine. Promise.” She drunkenly crossed her finger over her heart. “I’ve been left in a lot worse condition.”

“Ouch, guilt trip much?” Opie chuckled before pressing his lips to hers again for another kiss, half mumbling another ‘You’re sure?’ into the kiss.

“Mhm.” Kacey nodded.

“Positive?” He teased, pulling away briefly before pressing another kiss to her lips. Ignoring his phone that was vibrating again inside his pocket.

“Positive…that if you don’t leave soon, I’m gonna start taking my clothes off…and that’s not good for anybody.” She chuckled, finally breaking the kiss. “Besides,” She pointed at his pocket. “They’re jus’ gonna keep calling.”

“Valid point.” Opie sighed, pecking her on the lips on more time before he stood, grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch and laying it over Kacey as she laid back down and got comfortable.

“Thank you.” She smiled softly, closing her eyes with a sigh.

“Goodnight,” Opie said quietly as he moved around the couch and reached for the front door, glancing back at Kacey one more time as he opened it before stepping out. Making sure it locked behind him and descending the steps of her front porch.  

~

“Gemma. Hey.” Harper said as she approached the trio at the table. Gemma turned and smiled.

“Oh, hey. Are you girls heading home?” Gemma asked, already pulling Harper into a hug. Harper smiled as Gemma kissed her cheek and sat back.

“Yeah. I’ve got some interviews tomorrow and Kacey’s one beer away from running through the street.” Harper said. “Or at least getting the idea.”

Clay and Piney chuckled as Gemma shook her head. “Well, it was good to have you girls here. I hope we’ll see more of you. Don’t be strangers.” She said. Harper smiled and thanked Gemma and Clay again before heading out. As they walked, a cold breeze snapped past them, making Harper shiver in her shorts and curse herself for not thinking to bring a jacket. Jax saw the shiver, even though she tried to hide it as she rubbed a hand over her arm. Jax finished his cigarette and stamped it out before he stopped and took off his Kutte then his zip up. Harper turned to him and smiled as he put it around her shoulders and zipped it up halfway. He looked at her and smirked.

“Looks good on you.” He said. Harper stuck her arms through and smiled, taking Jax’s arm as they continued walking. It wasn’t a long walk, but Harper rested her head on Jax’s shoulder anyway. Her beers were slowly beginning to soak into her every fiber and she was feeling a little flirty. As they got to the start of her driveway, Jax called out to Opie, who sat on his bike, starting it.

“Hey, man. Uh, your sister’s in the house already. She’s a little drunk though.” Opie said with a chuckle. Harper nodded and said, “Thanks, Ope.”

“Hey, I’ll catch you at the clubhouse,” Jax said as Opie saluted two fingers at him and took off down the street. Harper gave a soft sigh as she took a step past Jax, heading up her walkway. As her hand trailed down his arm, she caught his hand and Jax stayed right along with her until they reached the door. Harper let go of Jax’s hand and dug through her pockets for her keys. Once she had them in her hand, she turned to Jax and smiled, letting herself move a little closer.

“Thanks for walking me home. And for giving me a ride today.” Harper said. Jax smiled and pushed a few curls behind her ear.

“Anythin’ we can do to help. We’re all about the service, darlin’.” Jax said. Harper bit her lip and gave his Kutte a small tug, glancing down at his patches, moving a step closer. She looked up at him and lifted up on her toes to press a soft, light kiss to his lips. Once her heels clicked on the concrete, Jax licked his lower lip and smirked, slipping a hand over her hip to pull her closer. Harper giggled as Jax pushed a hand into her curls and pulled her closer for a longer, deeper kiss. Harper gripped the leather of his Kutte and sighed into the kiss as she pressed herself against him. The kiss would have continued if Harper didn’t hear stumbling and a crash inside that made them break the kiss, Harper giving a small groan.

“Jesus. I need to get in there before Taz comes out.” Harper said with a chuckle, turning and unlocking the door. Jax snickered and said, “I thought it was when she got pissed?”

Harper tilted her head back with a small giggle fit. She glanced back at him and said, “You really think the Tasmanian Devil wouldn’t do the same if he got drunk?”

Jax snickered and shook his head. “Alright, well…I’ll see you around then?” He asked, shoving his hands in his jean pockets, biting his lip, slightly and giving her a quick once over with a smirk. Harper bit her lip and turned to him again, taking a step closer and kissing him once more.

“I’m sure you will.” She said, softly, her hand reaching behind her to open the door and slip inside. “Night.”

Jax nodded at her and smiled. “Night.” He said. Harper smiled and closed the door, leaving Jax to smirk to himself as he went back to his bike. As he strapped on his helmet, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Jax took it out and answered the call. “Yeah?”

“*Hey, Jax, we need you back at the clubhouse, man. We just got a call from Clay.*” Tig’s voice chimed in. Jax raised an eyebrow and looked back down the street at Gemma’s to see Piney and Clay heading to their bikes. Jax sighed and said, “Yeah, I’m on my way.”

He snapped his phone shut and waited until Clay got closer to fall in line behind him.

~

Harper turned, taking off Jax’s hoodie and watched as her sister hopped around trying to pull off the boot that was tied around her leg. She chuckled and shook her head before going over to her and pushing her back onto the couch.

“Hey!” Kacey shouted, then crossed her arms and said, “Fuckin’ rude.”

“You’re going to kill yourself doing that shit, Kacey. Or worse, break your ankle.” Harper said, unlacing her boot and pulling it off. Kacey furrowed her eyebrows as she watched her sister.

“How is breaking my ankle worse than dying?” She questioned. Harper looked at her sister and said, with a smirk, “Because if you’re dead, you’ll haunt me and I can’t kill you. If you’ve broken your ankle, I have to hear you bitch and I can kill you.”

“How is that worse?” Kacey asked. Harper threw her boot at her and said, “I didn’t say it was worse for me.”

Kacey launched the boot right back at Harper, though she ducked out of the way, as she made her way into the kitchen. Harper stood in front of the almost empty fridge for a while before Kacey wandered over and hung off her sister’s shoulder. She grimaced at the limp lettuce and cheese in their fridge. “We need to go shopping,” Kacey said. Harper nodded and swung the door shut, turning to her sister with a smirk.

“Chinese?” Harper offered. Kacey’s drunk eyes lit up and she smiled.

“Yes!” She squealed with a clap, bouncing over to her phone and falling onto the couch. “Do you think they have a good Chinese place here?”

“I’m not sure. But we’re not too far away from the next city over. There’s gotta be a place that delivers.” Harper said, grabbing her phone and searching.

Within the next half hour, the girls had changed into just their panties and a shirt, Harper grabbing Jax’s hoodie to answer the door. She paid the delivery boy, tipping him a little extra for delivering so late, and brought the bag over to the coffee table, lounging in the armchair next to the couch. Kacey had fallen asleep just after Harper ordered, so with a nudge of her foot to Kacey’s knee that was hanging off the side of the couch, she said, “Hey. Wake up before I eat it all.”

Harper snickered as Kacey grumbled at her, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. Harper handed her a pair of chopsticks then asked, “Chow Mein or fried rice?”

“Chow mein. Duh.” Kacey said with a chuckle, Harper smirking and handing the box to her. Harper sat back with a box of walnut shrimp and set the fried rice on the side table next to her. Around her bites of food, Harper managed to ask, with a smirk, “So…Did Opie kiss you?”

Kacey nearly choked on the bite of noodles she had just shoved in her mouth. “Excuse you?”

Harper snickered and glanced at her as she picked her way around the walnuts. “You heard me.” She said, shifting in her seat, shoving another shrimp into her mouth with a little wiggle.

Kacey paused from taking her next bite as she narrowed her gaze at her sister; swallowing what was left in her mouth before speaking again. “Did you kiss Jax?” She replied mockingly.

Unfortunately, the smile never left Harper’s face as she looked up at her and said, “Yeah. Twice.”

“Hm…” Kacey mused with a small smirk before shoving another bite of chow mein in her mouth. “I beat you by two then.”

Harper gave her sister a mock scandalized look before giving a soft chuckle and picking up the fried rice. “Well…It was only cause we were drunk.” Harper said, picking through the rice, looking up at her as she added, “You’re not…Planning on letting it get any further…Right?”

Kacey cleared her throat awkwardly as she stared into her box of chow mein, not wanting to lie, but also not knowing exactly how to answer. “I don’t know…” She shrugged, picking at her food. Harper blinked and shifted in her seat, dropping her legs down from the arm of the chair. She gave a short laugh and said, “What do you mean, you don’t know? Kacey…We cannot get involved with them. I mean, come on! We barely got Marcus off our backs about Bastien and Nico. I don’t know about you but Clay scares me a little bit more than him. I don’t wanna fuck with him.”

“Quite frankly, I’d be more afraid of Gemma.” Kacey joked lightly, trying to lighten the mood a little. Harper rolled her eyes after delivering a death glare at her.

“Oh, yeah, sure. You can joke. Opie is Jax’s best friend, and Jax is Gemma’s son. Yes. Thank you for reminding me that I’d be doubly fucked!” she shot at her, picking angrily at the rice. Kacey snickered and didn’t bother to hide her smirk as she said, “Technically, you’d be triply fucked, but…You know…”

Harper huffed as she set the box down in her lap, staring at her sister as she laughed into her chow mein. She flicked a piece of rice at her and said, “Just promise me if you do it, it’s the one time? Don’t get involved with them, Kace. I’m sure there are other nice guys in this town for us.”

“Yeah. That’s true.” Kacey said, nodding along in agreeance. She quickly looked at her and said, “If it weren’t for the fact we attract bikers.”

Harper rolled her eyes and sighed, shoving rice into her mouth and sinking a little in her chair. After a while, Harper sat up as Kacey grabbed the orange chicken and said, “Please just promise me it’d be the one time?”

“Yeah, yeah. I promise. I mean, I can’t guarantee it’ll ever happen, but yes. If it does, it’s the one time.” Kacey said, crossing her heart and rolling her eyes. Harper gave her a look but dropped the subject as she shook her head and dug back into the shrimp. A few more minutes passed before Kacey looked up and said, “So did you see that chick Tig brought along?”

Harper’s gaze pierced under her lashes at her sister, before her lips curled in a smirk and they both laughed, descending into their routine of breaking down the night.

~

Early the next morning, Kacey woke up and dressed for her shift. Last night at the party, Chibs and Juice managed to rope Clay and Kacey together and convinced Clay to let her come on part-time, if at first, in the clubhouse, and with a little help from Opie, Clay also agreed to let Kacey work on Harper’s truck. As Kacey walked out the door, having left Harper a note, she saw Half-Sack pull up in the tow truck, giving a wave. Kacey gave a nod and waved back as she hurried down the walkway and climbed in.

“Morning!” Half-Sack said cheerily as he put the truck in gear. Kacey cringed inwardly, but she held a polite smile as she tried to pretend she was at least somewhat of a morning person…and that her brain wasn’t about to pound it’s way out of her skull.

“Morning…” She replied.

“Sleep good?” Half-Sack asked, attempting to make small talk as they pulled out onto the road and started for the Clubhouse.

“Dunno if you can call three and a half hours of sleep good,” Kacey replied. “But sure. We’ll go with that.” She chuckled lightly and turned her attention to looking out the window, taking in the scenery as it passed by; Half-Sack rambling on about something completely random in the background as she attempted to tune him out. Any form of sound making her headache worse at this point. Her and Harper really needed to hit the store for essentials…Excedrin being number one on her list right now.   
  


But as they pulled into the parking lot at TM, Kacey drew a deep breath and composed her thoughts. Preparing herself for all the information and learning that was about to go down…so early in the morning…while she was battling a hangover.

“So,” Half-Sack started as they approached the Clubhouse. “Can’t give you a key yet, Clays orders, but one of us is always around if you get locked out or something. And Gemma is usually one of the first people here and unlocks things if the guys aren’t up and movin’ yet.” Kacey nodded as they stepped inside.

“You got to see where most everything is at behind the bar, yesterday…that’s pretty basic. Cooler is back through here.” He took her towards the back entrance and gestured to a big metal door before pulling it open. “You’ll find everything you need for restocking in here. Kegs, bottles, cans, mixers; hard liquor is kept in a separate locked cabinet behind the bar.” He added.

“Pretty basic.” Kacey chuckled with a nod. Half-Sack nodded in return as they made their way back out front to the bar, right as Clay and Opie were making their way inside.

“Everything is pretty simple, cleaning wise and whatnot. Anything you don’t know or have questions on, I’ll show you as we go along. Sound good?” Half-Sack smiled and Kacey gave another nod.

“I think I can handle it.” She replied. “Either way, I’m a fast learner.”

“Glad to hear it.” Clay chimed in as he grinned down at her, motioning towards the door. “C’mon. We’ll show you around the garage real quick before you get started.”  

Kacey was quick to fall in stride beside Opie as they followed Clay outside and across the lot to the Garage; Opie giving her a grin as he slowed his pace a little, but otherwise remained quiet as Clay continued on with the tour, pointing out a few things along the way before they stepped inside the shop.

“It’s your pretty basic setup.” Clay motioned around the garage. “If you need help finding somethin’ just flag down one of the guys, or give a holler at Gemma in the office.” He added. “Aside from that, rules are simple; part time for now until we see if you’re a good fit. I’ll have Gemma make you a schedule. You’re free to come and go on your days off to work on your sister’s truck. Other than that, just listen and follow instructions and you’ll be jus’ fine…welcome to TM, Kid.” Clay grinned and patted her on the shoulder before steering her back in the direction of the Clubhouse, just the two of them as Opie got to work.

~

The morning breezed by as Kacey got to work; her headache eventually dulling as she worked alongside Half-Sack most of the morning as he showed her the ins and outs of the working the bar at the Clubhouse. Most of it was pretty simple and not much different than the last bartending job she had. Though she had to admit, the company here was a lot better and her favorite ‘customer’ by far had to be Piney; who as it turns out, was actually Opie’s father. Kacey becoming pretty well acquainted with the old man as he spent most of the morning sitting at the bar, poking fun of Half-Sack and telling her stories.

“Jesus, Pop, you’re not harassing the new bartender already? Are you?” Opie groaned as he and Juice came in for a beer later that afternoon. Kacey trying her best to hide her grin as she grabbed a couple of beers and opened them before placing them on the bar.

“As a matter of fact,” Piney stated in a gruff tone; turning to his son with a smirk. “We were talkin’ about you.” Piney chuckled softly, watching in amusement as Opie slunk forward on his barstool and took a sip of his beer.

“Don’t worry.” Kacey chuckled, meeting Opie’s gaze with a wink as he looked up at her; cocking an eyebrow curiously. “He only told me the good bits.” She teased.

“‘Cause that makes me feel so much better,” Opie replied sarcastically, though he was unable to stave off the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth and eventually spread into a smile. Kacey returning the gesture shyly before turning her attention to wiping down the bar and making Piney another drink. As Juice and Opie fell into conversation with Piney, the door swung open and Harper bounced inside, soon followed by Jax. Harper quickly sought out her sister and grabbed her hands, startling her.

“Jesus, Harper. Don’t make me break stuff on my first day!” Kacey chuckled. Harper shook her head and said, “Sorry. Sorry. But-I got a job! My very first interview today, and I fuckin’ nailed it!”

Kacey’s face lit up and the two girls let out a squeal and hugged. “No shit! Where at?” Kacey asked as Harper went back around the bar, her mission complete; To find her sister and tell her the news. She slipped into a seat next to Jax, who stood behind her, saying hi to Opie and the rest.

“The diner in town. Waitress.” Harper said with a shrug. “At least it’s something.”

Kacey smiled and slid both her and Jax a beer, before wiping down the bar. “Well, that’s great, Sis. At least now we have jobs.”

Harper held up her bottle and said, with a giggle, “Amen.” Kacey chuckled before moving off to grab more beers from the cooler, calling down to Half-Sack as he went down the hall to bring up another case. Harper turned to Piney and Jax, starting up a conversation with them. Throughout the rest of Kacey’s shift, and a few hours after, every now and then the sisters exchanged glances and a secret smile, finally having hope that they found their place in Charming and among the Sons.

 ~


	4. Chapter 4

6 months passed and the sisters settled quite nicely in Charming and among the club. Gemma took them under her wing and showed them the ropes, not that they needed help there, but they let her anyway. Kacey and Clay were practically joined at the hip when she was working on Harper’s truck and then on other cars and bikes, and she got along nicely with Half-Sack when she worked the bar. Harper became a favorite at the diner, getting rather generous tips that helped pay off the truck and get their bikes down to them in record time. The minute the flat bed rolled onto the lot, Kacey and Harper got their bikes down and shot out of the lot, Jax, Opie and Juice laughing as they raced to their bikes to try and keep up with them. **  
**

As they settled to their new life and job, they also got rather close and comfy with Opie and Jax. While the sisters made a promise to only let it be a one time thing, neither sister could resist the bikers and began fooling and sneaking around with Jax and Opie. It all started out innocent enough in the beginning. No more than stolen moments here and there whenever the other sister wasn’t around or paying attention; but that quickly turned to little white lies and late nights of sneaking out. It was like they were teenagers all over again…Complete with several instances of Kacey having to shove Opie out her window and Jax hiding under Harper’s bed, before either sister walked in, or anyone else for that matter; The last thing Harper wanted was to get caught with Jax by Gemma.

~

Once Harper settled as a waitress, within the first few weeks, she was playing hostess when the other girls were out sick. She had grown into the role, well, and was now trusted with counting the registers after her shifts. As she counted the money made from breakfast and a few stragglers before the lunch rush, the familiar, unmistakable rumbling sound of two Softails met her ears and she looks up from the bills in her hand, watching in horror, as Alvarez and one of his cronies drove down Main St and parked just outside the diner. Harper quickly went through the money, scribbling down the numbers and slammed everything back in before taking off back to her locker. Her shift was long over and she only stayed later to do a thorough count of the money, so no one would have wondered why she wasn’t there. Her hands shook as she fumbled with her lock, grabbing her jacket and purse before hauling ass to the back and jumping into her car.

She didn’t know if they were going into the diner or the corner store next door, but she wasn’t about to stick around and find out. She had to get to the clubhouse - Fast. She flew down the side streets she’d become so acquainted with, dialing her phone to call first the house, then the clubhouse. When no one answered, the panic began to set in. Hands shaking, she took a breath and called Jax. If anyone would pick up for her, it would be him.

 _“*Hey, darlin’. What’s up? You just get off work?*”_  Jax answered in a happy tone that made Harper smile, if only brief.

“Yeah. Yeah, I did. Um, i-is my sister working? Is she at the garage? I-I can’t get a hold of her…” Harper said, trying not to be too frantic and cause Jax to worry. But as she tried and failed, she heard the worry in his voice when he responded,  _“*Yeah, she’s in the clubhouse-Harper, is everything okay? Are you in trouble?*”_

Harper sighed and shook her head. “No. No, we’re-I’m fine. I just need to know where she is. I’m on my way over now.” She didn’t give Jax the opportunity to answer as she hung up. She was already speeding and didn’t want to add more charges onto the ticket by being on her phone. She whipped into the lot and into a spot, not bothering to park correctly. When Harper jumped down from her truck, Opie strolled over, catching up to her quick pace in a matter of steps.

 _Fucking tree…_  Harper thought, rolling her eyes as she caught a glimpse of Opie approaching her.

“Hey. Is everything okay?” Opie asked, concerned.

“Fine. Fine. Where’s-Where’s Kacey?” Harper asked, glancing toward the garage in case she might be there. Opie raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, as he said, “Clubhouse.”

Without another word, Harper took off in a run, making Opie stop and watch her as he puffed on a dying cigarette. As Harper rushed inside the clubhouse, Jax appeared at Opie’s side, from the office.

“Was that Harper? Is she okay?” Jax asked. Opie nodded and glanced at him.

“I’m not sure, man. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her frazzled like that before.” Opie said. Jax sighed and patted Opie on the back, the both of them then headed for the clubhouse. Inside, Harper brushed off the greetings by the guys as she scanned the bar for her sister. Half-Sack came around the corner with a case of beers in his hands, Kacey soon following with a laugh. Harper sighed and shot over to her, grabbing her arm as she set the case down.

“Hey, Sis.” Kacey smiled as she looked up her sister. The corners of her mouth quickly turning down when she saw the look on Harper’s face. “Is everything ok?”

Harper glanced around the room before she whispered, “We need to leave. Now.”

“What? Why?!” Kacey asked as her sister tugged on her arm, pulling her around the corner. “Harper? What the hell is going on?”

“Alvarez, Kacey. Him and one of his guys. I was at the diner and I-” Kacey cut her off at the mention of Alvarez’s name. She tore off her half apron and tossed it onto the bar, grabbing her purse and vest before going back around the corner. All the color having drained out of her face by this point.

“You couldn’t have fucking lead with that?!” Kacey whispered in a harsh tone as she tugged on her over shirt and vest. “They find me here and I’m as good as fucking dead…or worse. They’ll drag it out to make a fucking point!” Kacey put a hand to her chest as her breathing became erratic; suddenly feeling like a deer in headlights with nowhere to go. Harper grabbed her arms and started breathing with her to avoid a panic attack. Once Kacey’s breathing regulated, Harper grabbed her hand and said, “I know. You think I wanted them to see me? They pulled up in front of the goddamn diner, Kay.”

Harper looked around the corner, then turned to her sister and said, “Listen. If anyone asks, we have a family emergency and need to get to the house.”

“But won’t Opie and Jax-”

“Tell them we’re fine and we have to go. But we don’t know why Alvarez is here, so we need to get home and stash the truck, okay?” Harper led Kacey through the bar, both of them ready to tell their lie walking if anyone asked after them. The second Harper set foot out the clubhouse door, she felt a death grip on her hand, soon hearing the sound that set Kacey on edge. Harper had her mind set on reaching her truck, but a few more steps and the bikes suddenly rolled onto the lot and into view, causing Harper to turn and push her sister back inside.

“Jesus, Harper! What the fuck?!” Kacey hissed as she narrowed her gaze at her sister. Trying her best to keep the panic that was building from spilling over.  “Are we leaving or not?!”   

“Can you shut up for 5 seconds?!” Harper hissed back. “They just pulled onto the fucking lot!”

Harper sighed and chewed her lip, trying to figure out how to get out to her truck. She glanced up to the tvs that transmitted the security footage and grabbed Kacey’s arm, again, as she saw Alvarez and his man being escorted toward the clubhouse by Clay and Jax. Kacey barely got a glance up, muttering an  _‘Oh, shit’_ before Harper yanked her down the hallway.

“Where are we going now?! We can’t stay here!” Kacey said. Harper tugged on the cord that dangled from the ceiling, unfolding the ladder and pushing her sister up the rungs. “Jesus H Christ, Harper. Are you serious?! What are we? 15, again?”

“When we were 15, we didn’t have to run from bikers, just Aunt Polly and Uncle Joe. Go!” Harper demanded, hopping onto the ladder below her, ushering her on. Kacey sighed and raced up the ladder, her sister close behind, before Harper pulled the ladder up, closing the hatch once they were both up. “Just stay down until we hear them leave.”

Harper sat on the gravel covered rooftop, leaning back against the ledge of the roof. Kacey sighed and sat next to her, staring at her shoes in the gravel as he mind raced. After a while, with it being so quiet, Harper looked at her sister.

“Hey. Kacey.” She said, giving Kacey a small shake. Being drawn from her thoughts, Kacey looked up at her with a soft ‘Huh’. “Kace, it’s gonna be okay. I won’t let them take you and neither will the club. I mean, shit, we’re practically family at this point.”

“Harper, they don’t know us. They find out that we had something to do with the Mayans-”

“Well, then we just explain it to them. And if they can’t accept us still, then we pack up and go home.” Harper said, her face dropping slightly at the thought of going home. Kacey blinked and said, “Harper, Polly disowned us after Joe died…”

Harper sighed and looked at her sister. “That was never home.” Was the last thing spoken between the sisters. They hunkered down and waited in silence, until they heard the rumble of the bikes come to life and peered over the edge to watch the two Mayans ride off the lot. They waited until the sound faded to nothing before they climbed back down; Kacey still on edge as they made there way back out to the bar.  

“Hey, where’d you run off to?” Half-Sack asked with a confused look as they rounded the corner, Kacey glancing at her sister from the corner of her eye, the two sharing a brief, unspoken, conversation.

“Yeah, is everything alright?” Jax added from beside Opie as they approached the bar. Kacey was still notably shaken, but she did her best to force down her anxiety; burying it with a smile as she stepped away from Harper and stepped back behind the bar.

“Yeah…everything’s cool.” Kacey reassured as she picked up the case of forgotten beers from earlier. “Just a random panic attack. Harp knows how to talk me out of ‘em…no big deal.” She shrugged it off, fetching a couple of cold beers for Jax and Opie before busying herself with restocking the beer cooler. Trying her best to ignore the skeptical looks the guys were exchanging behind her back, but thankfully, they didn’t press the issue any further than that.

“Hey, look, if you need to go home it’s no–” Jax started; Kacey quickly dismissing the offer with a shake of her head.

“No, no…I’m fine. Promise.” Kacey stated, casting a brief, uneasy glance at the monitors above the bar. “Besides, I only have a couple hours left on my shift anyway…it’ll keep my mind busy”

“So long as your sure?” Jax asked as he turned his attention to Harper for reassurance. Seeming somewhat convinced when Harper nodded in agreement; reassuring that her sister was fine. “Alright.” He shrugged as he and Opie picked up their beers and started for the Chapel to meet with the rest of the guys.

“Hey, Ope?” Kacey called out before they disappeared. “Give me a ride later? My bikes due for a service, so I think I’ll leave here at the garage for the night.”

“Yeah. Sure.” Opie turned with a half grin and a nod. “Just let me know when you’re ready to go.” Kacey nodded as she watched them disappear into the Chapel and shut the door, leaving herself and Harper alone to their own thoughts. Kacey’s stomach quickly twisting into knots again as she glanced up at the monitors one more time before turning back to her sister, the look on her face saying it all…

_‘What the hell are we gonna do now?’_

~

After Kacey’s shift, the sisters had a brief discussion on whether or not to go home. They agreed, with Kacey’s unmistakable bike here at the shop, all closed off, Harper would go home, stowing her car and bike in the garage, and Kacey would play it cool with Opie. They could tell from the looks on their faces, neither man was convinced it was just a panic attack. They reverted back to one of their old white lies, that could have been more or less true, in the hopes they would believe them this time. Harper watched Kacey ride off on the back of Opie’s bike, jumping at his offer of  _‘the good stuff’_  at his house. Harper knew Kacey had her own stash of some good stuff herself, but it gave her an excuse to be around Opie, should Alvarez come back calling.

With a sigh, Harper leaned against her truck and rubbed her face, pushing her hands through her hair before digging out her keys and hopping into her truck. Jax appeared at the passenger window and flashed her a quick smile.

“Hey. You headin’ home?” He asked, folding his arms over the open window. Harper glanced at him as she started her car and gave him a small smile.

“Yeah. Not that helping my sister through a panic attack wasn’t fun,” Harper said making them both chuckle. “My shift today also wasn’t too great…At least at the end.”

Jax glanced around and smirked, leaning a little more into the car, he said, “Well…would you like some company maybe?”

Harper looked at him, unable to keep the smirk from her face, seeing the sly one on his. Harper rolled her eyes and motioned for him to get in, which Jax did, and took off out of the lot.

~

When Harper pulled up to the house, she pulled straight into the garage and quickly hopped out, pushing her bike in as well. Jax leaned against the truck, lighting a cigarette, as he watched her. Huffing out a puff of smoke he said, “Harper, are you sure everything is okay?”

Harper sighed as she kicked the kickstand of her bike out, leaning it away from her truck. She looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah. Promise.” She said.

“Then why are you bringing in your bike? You always leave it out.” Jax asked, noting the change. Harper shook her head and said, “Uh, well…Kacey gets a little paranoid after her panic attacks. I just go along with it cause otherwise it might cause another one.”

Jax chuckled and shook his head, slipping an arm around Harper’s waist as she passed him, heading for the door. “You two are just full of odd surprises, aren’t you?” He teased, nipping at her ear, gently. Harper giggled, pushing the button to lower the garage door, then turned to him as he pressed her against the door to the kitchen. She tapped his nose twice and said, “Honey, you have no idea.”

Jax chuckled and kissed her slowly. As Harper kissed him back, she felt around for the lock, pushing the key in and turning it, twisting the knob at the same time. At the sound of the lock, Jax broke the kiss and a coy smirk came over his face. Harper giggled, rushing inside and away from him, but Jax was faster and caught her waist as she tried to maneuver around the kitchen table. Harper squealed and laughed as he wrapped both arms around her, burying his face in her hair. Harper bit her lip as Jax laid soft kisses along her neck, peeling her out of her jacket and tugging off her half apron from work, dropping them both on the table. Harper turned to him and pushed off his Kutte and hoodie as he sealed his lips against hers. Once the clothing dropped to the floor, Jax quickly pulled off his flannel and the plain white T that was underneath.

Harper giggled and slowly made her way to her room, wiggling out of her work clothes along the way. Jax smirked and followed her, taking her hips and pulling her back toward him, nuzzling her neck. Harper smirked and tilted her head back, turning her head to face him as she ran he fingers through his hair. Jax’s hands slid down her stomach and unbuttoned her shorts, pushing them down. As Harper let out a soft chuckle, she pulled away from him, turning as she did, and walked back until the back of her legs hit the bed and she sat down, scooting back on the mattress. Jax smirked and made quick work of his pants before he rushed to her, hovering over her and sliding an arm around her to hold her close.

“Someone is impatient.” Harper teased, her voice soft and sensual, as she trailed a finger over his lower lip. Jax smirked and said, “We had a 3 day run and you couldn’t come. I missed my woman.”

Harper giggled as he claimed her lips once more. As much as she wanted to tease him, she couldn’t deny that she missed him too. A soft moan escaped her lips as Jax dug his fingers into the waistband of her panties, tugging them down. She broke the kiss and quickly unhooked her bra, ripping it off as Jax tossed her panties away. Harper giggled and let her bra drop onto the floor as Jax kicked off his boxers.

“If you missed me so much, prove it.” She teased. She gripped the dog tags that hung around his neck and gently pulled him back down, whispering against his lips, “Take me.” Just before she crushed her lips to his.

~

Jax slowly blew out the hit he’d taken and laid back on Harper’s bed as she started lighting incense on her dresser. Jax smirked and looked her over; Wrapped up in just the sheet, he still eyed the outline of her curves before gazing down at her legs. He loved her legs. He wasn’t too sure what it was about them, but he loved to have his hands on them at all times. Though most times, she smacked his hands away when he got a little too adoring of them, especially when they were around the club or Kacey. With a soft sigh, Harper stretched and let the sheet fall to the ground as she dug through her drawers for a clean pair of panties and a bra. As she hooked the bra and got it in place, she made her way back to the bed, flopping down and plucking the joint from Jax’s fingers as he offered it to her. She smirked and took a hit, holding it in a little longer before exhaling a smooth line of smoke. She smirked and cuddled up to Jax, his arm sliding around her waist to pull her closer. He kissed her, softly at first, then a little deeper, taking care to remember the lit joint in her hand. He broke the kiss and smiled down at her.

“I still don’t get it, Harp.” Jax said with a chuckle, taking the joint from her for another few puffs. “If Kacey knows, why do you have to cover up whenever I’m here for no reason?”

Harper shrugged, taking another hit before handing it to him, as she laid her head on his chest, though inside she was screaming. “Dunno. Kind of used to hiding? We had to hide our boyfriends from our Aunt and Uncle growing up. Just habit, I guess.” She said with a chuckle. It wasn’t a complete lie, but it was enough to keep Jax in the dark about Kacey not knowing they were together. Jax chuckled and pressed a kiss to her temple before he handed her the joint. She took it and puffed on it for a while as Jax got up and pulled on his boxers and jeans. Harper rolled over, reaching for the ashtray on her nightstand. She snubbed out the joint then set it on the side, sitting up.

“You’re not leaving already, are you?” She asked, with a fake pout. Jax looked at her and chuckled, half crawling onto the bed to kiss her slowly. Harper giggled and cupped his face, pulling him back onto the bed. Jax gave a soft groan when she pulled him too far and he jumped, a little, to land properly on the bed, making Harper squeak as he hovered over her. She looked up at him and giggled, sliding her nails down his chest, lightly.

“I’ve gotta go sometime, babe.” He said with a chuckle. Harper nodded with a soft sigh, slowly dragging her gaze up to meet his. “We’ve got chapel at 8 but I can come back if it’s not too late.”

He kissed her again, quickly, then got off the bed to grab his shirt and tug it on. Harper sighed and sat up, crossing her legs under her as she watched him. When he shrugged his Kutte on, he turned back to her and smiled. Jax went back to her, Harper shifting to sit on the edge of the bed. Jax came down, bracing a hand on either side of her and said, “Leave the window open for me?”

“If I must.” She teased as he leaned closer, invading her space to give her a final kiss goodbye. Harper sighed as she watched him walk out of the bedroom. Finally, Harper stood and rooted through her closet to pull out a black and yellow patterned sundress and pulled it on, slipping into her sandals as she did. She swiped her sunglasses from the dresser and followed Jax to the kitchen. “Do you want me to take you back? Kacey might be back soon. Opie could give you a ride.”

Jax chuckled as he lit a cigarette and shook his head. “The day I ride bitch seat on a bike is when I go out with my girl.” He said, gripping the side of her dress and pulling her closer. Harper laughed and slid her arms around his neck, kissing him softly.

“So is that a yes?” She asked. Jax nodded and let her go as she moved to the table digging around in her purse for her keys. Jax opened the garage door and waited in the driveway while Harper started her car and backed out. Jax climbed in and slid in next to her, sliding a hand over her thigh. Harper gave him a look to which he responded with a smirk. She shook her head and started down the road, heading back to TM. When she got close, she pulled over so none of the members would see Jax kiss her goodbye and slip out of the truck. She waited until Jax disappeared behind the gate and turned around, headed back home to wait for her sister.

~

Kacey was silent the whole ride over to Opie’s place; which he found unusual, as she was usually trying to talk to him about something. But given the afternoon she’d had, it wasn’t something he pushed to ask about until they rolled up in the driveway. Kacey seeming to be rooted to her spot on the back of his bike, which was most definitely not normal. Opie shifted to look over his shoulder at her as he placed a hand over her wrist, giving it a squeeze to get her attention, a frown tugging down the corners of his lips as her blue eyes snapped up to meet his; panicked for a brief moment before it faded and she forced a smile.

“You sure you’re alright?” Opie asked for what was probably the millionth time since they’d left the Clubhouse, feeling there was something she wasn’t telling him, but not wanting to overstep her boundaries…after all, they had originally agreed that this was just a casual arrangement. No strings attached, no feelings.

“I’m fine, Ope.” Kacey rolled her eyes as she climbed off the back of his bike finally and removed her helmet. She paused for moment, fidgeting with the chin strap, before clearing her throat and adding, “It’s just been a while…since I’ve had an attack like that. I’m just still a little on edge I guess.” Kacey averted her gaze as Opie climbed off of his bike and approached her carefully.

“Hey,” He started as he took her chin lightly, tilting it upward and forcing her to look at him. “I got you…and you know if you ever wanted to talk about it I’d listen. No judgements.” Kacey smirked lightly as she wrapped her arms around his waist and stared up at him. She appreciated the offer, she really did, but she knew in her heart that if she ever told him the full truth of what was going on…that no  _judgements_  bullshit would go right out the window. So instead Kacey settled for reaching up on her tiptoes to press her lips against his in a fairly heated kiss; not caring that they were still standing in his driveway putting on a display for all the neighbors to see.

“I swear. To. God, Woman…” Opie groaned as Kacey pulled away, biting her lip as she hooked her finger behind his belt buckle and tugged forward lightly. “One of these days…”

“You’ll what?” Kacey teased back as she arched a brow, letting out a squeal as Opie scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder as he made a break for the front door, all but kicking it open when he struggled to get the key in the lock. Kacey was back on her feet and pressed against the wall before the door had even fully closed behind them; Opie’s lips back against hers as she pushed his Kutte off and tossed it over the back of the nearest chair as his own hands stripped her over her overshirt and vest, followed by her tank top, before undoing the button on her jeans.

“Eager much?” Kacey giggled as she stood up on her tiptoes, trying to get his shirt off. The only response she got out of him was a low growl as he removed his shirt for her, Kacey managing to get as far as undoing his belt buckle before his hands were gripping her ass and her legs were around his waist as Opie hoisted her up; lips locked as he fumbled blindly through the house trying to get to the bedroom. Not even caring if they knocked over or destroyed half his house in the process.

Kacey’s back collided with his mattress roughly as they finally made it to the bedroom, panting as she tried to catch her breath while Opie stripped off her jeans and boots before removing his own. The mattress dipping under his weight as he crawled over the top of her, his lips finding their way to her throat as she tangled her hands in his hair, tugging lightly as a moan escaped past her lips.

Kacey gave a soft chuckle then said, “Hmm, I guess your little butt buddies weren’t enough for you on your run?” A small yelp left her lips soon after as Opie nipped at the sensitive flesh of her neck in response. His fingers hooked into the waistband of her panties as he pulled away for a moment to look up her as he replied, “You’re about to fuckin’ find out.” Kacey letting out a loud squeal as Opie latched onto her neck, his hands traveling down her sides to grip her hips.


	5. Chapter 5

~

 

“Jesus…” Kacey sighed, completely spent as she rested her head against Opie’s chest. Her eyes slipping closed for a moment as she listened to the steady beating of his heart and the soft chuckle that rumbled through his chest as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders; pulling her closer. “Did we break the bed? I think we might have broken the bed.” She let out a small chuckle herself, nestling closer as Opie’s fingers traced over the patterns of the lotus and mandala tattoo sleeve on her left upper arm.

“Nah…Bed’s fine.” He replied as he rested his chin on top of Kacey’s head gently. “The rest of the house I’m not so sure.”

“Worth it.” Kacey chuckled as she shifted to lean over Opie, grabbing his jeans off the floor and digging around in the pockets for his pack of smokes and a lighter, sitting back against the headboard as she lit one and took a drag before passing it over to Opie.

“You wanna go offer one of those to my neighbors as well?” Opie joked, wincing with a laugh as Kacey punched his arm lightly.

“Well, if they didn’t know your name before, they certainly do now.” Kacey retorted with a smirk as she took the cigarette back, pressing a kiss to his lips, nipping at his lower lip gently as she pulled away and took another pull, Opie letting out a soft groan in response.

“You’re lucky I have to be back to the Clubhouse by 8.” He growled lowly, Kacey letting out a laugh as she leaned forward to check the time on the clock beside the bed.

“We still have time.” She replied with a sly grin tugging at her lips.

“I still have to shower…” Opie groaned as he rubbed a large hand over his face and beard before glancing back up at Kacey who was now grinning like the Cheshire cat. “Christ, Woman, are you tryin’ to fuckin’ break me before Church?” He laughed.

“That’s never been an issue before.” Kacey snorted as she shifted to stamp out what was left of the cigarette in the ashtray on the nightstand, before she climbed off the bed and wrapped herself up in the sheet, heading for the bathroom. “Besides, if we do it in the shower, at least you won’t reek of sex when we get out,” Kacey added, innocently, before dropping the sheet as she stopped just inside the doorway, giving him a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.

“You’re gonna end up giving me a Goddamn heart attack.” Opie chuckled softly as he rolled out of the bed and quickly followed Kacey into the shower. He knew he’d get his ass chewed out if he was late for church, again, but God be damned if he wasn’t gonna make sure it was at least worth every bit of it in the end.

~

By the time Harper pulled back into the driveway, the rumble of Opie’s bike followed. As Harper got out of her truck, waiting in the garage, Opie pulled in and steadied his bike so Kacey could get off, trailing a hand over his back. She smiled and took off her helmet, handing it to him and placing a light kiss on his cheek. Harper took a final drag from her cigarette and flicked the butt away, raising an amused eyebrow as her sister walked over to her, a satisfied smirk on her face. When she reached her sister, Kacey linked their arms and turned to Opie, giving a wave and said, “Thanks for the ride, Ope.”

Opie chuckled and saluted the sisters with two fingers as he backed out of the drive, then took off down the road. Kacey sighed and turned to Harper with a sweet smile.

“And how was your afternoon?” She teased, practically bouncing inside the house, making Harper roll her eyes as she turned to follow her, closing the garage.

“I see you convinced him everything is alright?” Harper questioned as Kacey raided the fridge. She popped up over the door and gave her a look.

“Unclench, Harps. We smoked and drank. I always feel happy when I get…Happy.” She giggled. “Why do you think I have the munchies?”

Kacey held up a jar of salsa and a container of cream cheese, setting it down before scavenging through the cabinets for tortilla chips. Harper smiled and grabbed a bowl from the rack next to the sink, scooping in a generous amount of cream cheese before covering it in salsa. Kacey set the bag of chips down after grabbing one herself and digging into the concoction. Harper licked her lips and sat back with a smirk and a sigh.

“Damn. We haven’t had this in a long time.” Harper said with a chuckle, snagging another chip and scooping up more. Kacey chuckled and nodded, hunkering down in her spot as she nibbled on the remains of her chip.

“Yeah. Last time was…What? The day before we left? Polly was fuckin’ furious.” Kacey chuckled. Harper snickered and mimicked the words, “Do you know where we got that salsa?!”

“All the way from Spain herself!” Kacey continued. Laughing, the sisters said in unison, “Salsa España!”

They both laughed until they had to wipe the tears from their eyes and the silence settled over them as they dove into long lost memories. They took a few more moments before Harper stood and went to the fridge, grabbing two beers and said, “Yeah. Aunt Poll was dumb as shit.”

Kacey snorted into her bite and shook her head, accepting the beer from her sister. Harper sighed and sat back down, pulling her legs up and crossing them under her as she took a sip. Kacey sat back, licking some cream cheese off her thumb and sighed. After another sip of her beer, she nodded at her sister, pointing the bottle at her and said, “So, how’d it go with Jax?”

Harper nodded and said, giving her sister a look, “Convinced. Especially when I had to bullshit about you being paranoid and that’s why I locked up my bike and my truck.”

Kacey clicked her tongue, pointing a finger at her. “Got it.” She said. “I told Opie it had been a while since my last ‘attack’ and I was just on edge.”

“That’s perfect,” Harper said with a chuckle. Kacey smirked and raised her bottle, tilting it toward Harper and said, “Yay, sisters?”

Harper chuckled and clinked her bottle to Kacey’s and said, “Yay, sisters.”

~

When Opie finally rolled into chapel, he got a stern look from Clay, but otherwise didn’t interrupt and the meeting kept going. Once Clay banged the gavel and everyone filed out, Jax stayed in his seat, giving Opie a look to stay behind as well.

“Everything okay?” Clay asked when he saw neither man had moved. Jax stood and nodded, giving him a reassuring smile and patting his shoulder.

“Yeah, man. We’re cool.” Jax said. Clay turned to Opie and said, “Next time you’re late-”

“I know. I know. Sorry, Clay. Won’t happen again.” Opie said with a small smirk, knowing the most he’d get is an ass-kicking. Clay chuckled and patted Opie on the shoulder as he left, Jax following him to the door and closing it. Opie sighed and glanced back at his friend and brother before he said, “So, what’s up, Jax?”

Jax rounded the table and took his seat again, folding his hands on the table, leaning into it a little. “Kacey seem on edge to you? I mean it all happened when Alvarez showed up.” He said. Opie nodded and shrugged.

“Yeah, she said that she hadn’t had a panic attack in a while and that’s why,” Opie said.

“Do you believe her?” Jax asked. Opie sighed and shifted in his seat.

“I dunno. I want to.” Opie said, glancing back to the door then looking at Jax, leaning forward. “She has no reason to lie to me. What did Harper say?”

“Not much. But she put her truck  _and_  her bike in the garage. I’ve never seen it anywhere but the driveway. Like she’s proud to have it on display.” Jax said. Opie nodded and said, “I noticed that when I dropped Kacey off at the house.”

Jax smirked and said, “Yeah? Is  _that_  why you were late?”

Opie smirked and said, “Hey, man. That one has got some stamina. Next time I’m not here, it’ll be from a goddamn heart attack.”

Jax chuckled and shook his head, sitting back in his chair. He rubbed a hand over his chin and said, “Yeah…I know what you mean.”

Opie raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “You and Harper? Shit, we’re in trouble now.”

Jax chuckled and nodded. “How long have you two been goin’ at it?” He asked, causing Opie to make a face at him and shake his head while he chuckled. Jax snickered as Opie said, “It’s just a casual thing. I got the vibe she really doesn’t want anything serious.”

Jax nodded and said, “Yup. Harper mentioned some exes in their past. Probably the reason why…For you at least.”

Jax leaned forward and stuck a cigarette between his smirking lips, sparking up his lighter while Opie raised his eyebrows and tilted his head with a smirk. “Hang on…You and Harper…As in…”

Jax sat back and huffed out the smoke as his answer, leaving Opie to laugh and shake his head. “Shit, brother. Now you’re really in deep shit. Can you imagine what Gemma’s gonna do when she finds out?” Opie chuckled. Jax shrugged and dragged the ashtray closer to him, ashing the cigarette.

“Accept her and be overjoyed to have a daughter?” Jax said. “I mean, come on, Ope. They’re living next door, they’ve been at every party, every barbecue. They’re practically like family anyway.”

Opie shook his head and chuckled. “Just do me one favor?”

Jax smirked and nodded at him. “What?”

“Please, for the love of God, let me be there when you tell Gemma,” Opie said. Jax chuckled and shook his head while Opie laughed.

~

A week passed since the almost run in with Alvarez. Kacey was still a tad on edge, but managed to keep it in check and went about her work like nothing had happened. Harper kept an eye out for any newcomers in the diner, just on the off chance they were associated with the Mayans. It took another week before Harper felt safe enough to bring their bikes back out and start riding again, christening her poor locked up Harley with a ride into Oakland for some new parts for Kacey’s bike. With their birthday coming up soon, she wanted to surprise her with the new mod she had been wanting. When she found the few stores that would order the mod she wanted, she was careful to avoid any Mayan territory so there was no risk of running into Alvarez, or worse; Nico or Bastien.

Harper rolled into the parking lot of Alvin’s Auto and turned off her engine. With a sigh, she took off her helmet and hung it on the handlebars before swinging off her bike and walking inside. She browsed for a while, noting that there was only one salesman, and he was quite busy with how involved he was with his customer. After grabbing a few things for her truck and one or two things extra for Kacey, she went up to the counter and waited as the salesman rung up his customer and he left.

“Hello, there, Miss. Can I help you with something?” He asked, making his way down the counter to her. Harper smiled at him, setting her things down and added, “I spoke on the phone with a, um, Bob? He said my order was here.”

“Oh, right! You’re Miss…” The man, Bob, pulled out a small pocketbook and leafed through it, running his fingers up and down the pages until the right name stood out to him. “Calhoun? Harper Calhoun?”

“Yes, sir.” She said with a chuckle. Bob smiled and nodded, stowing the pocketbook away. He held up a finger as he took a step away from the counter and said, “I’ll be right back with your package, Miss Calhoun…Oh, I’ll be right with you, gentlemen!”

As Bob disappeared to the back of the store, a chill ran down Harper’s spine, not daring to look behind her as she heard the sound of boots clicking on the linoleum floor of the store. Harper kicked herself a thousand times for being too chicken to carry her pistol in her storage on her bike and never regretted anything more than that decision in this moment. She fiddled with her keys as the boot steps got closer, ready to swing if, whoever it was, decided to try anything. She prayed that it wasn’t Alvarez and hoped it was anyone but Bastien; She knew he’d be out for blood, didn’t matter which sister. But as soon as she felt the hand on her shoulder, her heart dropped.

“Harpy. I thought you left town.” Nico said. Harper sighed and turned to him, freezing for a moment when she saw Bastien right behind him. With a shaky breath, she let out a broken, short chuckle and said, “I-I did. Um, I-This was the only place that, um, that had the parts I needed.”

Nico looked her over and smirked, glancing back to Bastien. He turned back to Harper and said, “You look good. It’s been a minute.”

Harper sighed and turned back around, not entirely capable of handling this while staring right at him. “Yeah. Well, leaving was the best thing I ever did…So…” She said, her voice dropping off at the end from the confidence it held at the start. Nico snickered behind her, making her cast a glare at him over her shoulder.

“You think that was a choice, baby?” He asked. Nico moved around her to lean on the counter and make her look at him, which she did if only a glance. “ _Mi Amor_ , we  _made_  you leave. And we told you not to come back to Oakland.”

She didn’t know why, but finally being able to stand her ground gave her a snarky sense of confidence and she looked at Nico with a smirk and said, “Actually, what I believe Marcus said was never to be seen in Mayan territory again. And Alvin’s is just this side of Mayan so…Technically, I didn’t break any rules.”

Harper held her satisfied smirk, if only for another second or two before it faded and she looked away from him. Nico chuckled and glanced over to Bastien, who merely gave a sneer before he said, “You’d better tell that bitch sister of yours that she better not show her face here. Otherwise, rules or no, she’ll get what’s coming to her.”

“ _Don’t fucking threaten my sister or you won’t have the balls to cheat on another woman again._ ” Harper hissed, gripping her keys so hard, she was pretty sure she had either bent them or cut herself, she wasn’t sure which with the amount of rage that filled her. Nico laughed as Bob came back out, carrying her package. He glanced between Nico and Harper as he set the box down and said, “Is everything alright?”

“Fine,” Harper said, grabbing the box. “I paid for this online. Thank you.”

Harper hugged the box to her side and turned on her heel to stride out as Bob called after her, “Hey! Miss!? Did you want to buy this other stuff?!”

Harper didn’t answer and strode out of the store, stuffing the box into her storage compartment and grabbing her helmet as she sat on her bike. Her hands shook, making it harder for her fingers to buckle the helmet, even more so when she saw Nico and Bastien heading out of the store. She fumbled once with her keys before her engine roared to life and she quickly backed out, taking off down the street. She was so shaken, she realized she had driven straight into Mayan territory and needed to flip a bitch, fast. Once she did, she saw Nico and Bastien heading right at her, smirking. She swore under her breath and sped up, not much caring if she got pulled over, at least it would scare them off. But as her bad luck would have it, no cops showed up and Nico and Bastien began to gain on her, steadily, until they ran her off the road and made her lay down her bike in the dirt off the highway. Harper whimpered as she picked herself out of the gravel, crawling over to her bike.

 _Thank God Kacey made me wear my jacket._  She thought, knowing otherwise her arms would have been scraped to shit. Just before she reached her bike, she felt a hand on the back of her leather jacket, yanking her to her feet. Harper gripped Nico’s arms as he hauled her up, holding her by her throat. She whimpered and tried to pull away, but he had a strong grip on her other arm, preventing her from escaping.

“You tell that sister of yours that you two had better watch yourselves. You think just cause you live in Charming now, that the Sons can protect you?” Nico hissed. Harper’s eyes went wide in fear. The gesture only made Nico smirk and chuckle as he nodded and said, “Yeah. Yeah, that’s right, love. We know exactly where you bitches are at. You think Marcus didn’t see you two hauling your boney white asses back into the club? See, we couldn’t do anything because we were on the Son’s turf and my uncle, for some fuckin’ reason, wants to be respectful. But I’m tellin’ you now, baby, you show your face around Oakland again, you won’t only be going home with a few scrapes and bruises.”

Nico released her and Harper gasped for air, but only had a moment before Nico’s hand struck her, hard, across her face, planting her right back in the gravel. Nico smirked and chuckled as he and Bastien made their way back to their bikes. Harper stayed down, listening to the rocks crunch beneath their boots and waited until the sound of their engines were far enough away before she looked up, crawling back to her bike. She checked herself over after she pulled herself up and righted her bike, grabbing her phone and checking her face. She was lucky she had the presence of mind to cross her arms over her face as she went down, though her hands were scraped up. She quickly stuffed her phone back into her pocket and took off down the highway, tears streaming down her face. She didn’t want to go home and freak out Kacey even more and she’d be damned if Gemma found out and demanded justice be done for her. So, once she got back into town, she sped right over to Jax’s.

Still shaking, she hardly bothered with turning off her bike, gas prices be damned. She threw off her helmet and hurried to the door, knocking her bruised and bloodied knuckles on the wood, rapidly, pressing her hands against it as she panted, softly. When she heard Jax’s voice travel from the back of the house, she sighed, relieved. But her relief only lasted a moment. When Jax opened the door, happy to see her at first, his smile faded when he saw her face and hands and angrily demanded, “What happened? Who did this?!”

The tears started again, Harper unable to stop them. Jax sighed and hurried her inside, sitting her down at the kitchen table and rushing to grab an ice pack for her hands. As he laid the ice on her knuckles, making her hiss, he asked again, a little more gently this time, “Harper, what happened?”

Harper sniffed and shook her head, staring at the table. “Nico and Bastien…Mostly Nico…All that cheating scumbag Bastien did was snicker and threaten Kacey.” She hissed through her sobs. She was a bundle of emotions, still trying to get over the incident; Scared, pissed and hurt, she didn’t know which way was up.

“Okay, hang on, babe. Back up here…Nico? Bastien?” Jax asked. Harper turned her head away from him, biting her lip. At first, the idea of going to Jax was a good one, she knew he’d take care of her, let her come back to sanity and she could do it without taking Kacey down with her, but she didn’t think about the fact that she would have to tell Jax about Nico and Bastien, and that they were Mayan. Jax leaned a little closer, taking her hand gently and said, “Who are they, Harp?”

Harper sighed and pushed his hands away as she stood, turning away from him. “Our exes…” She said, finally. She took a breath before she added, “Mayans…”

Jax blinked and stood, slowly, saying, “Mayans? You-You and Kacey dated Mayans?”

While Harper stayed quiet, another realization hit Jax. He inhaled and shook his head before he said, “Is  _that_ why you flipped out when Alvarez showed up?!…Wait-Nico? As in his nephew Nico!? Nico Alvarez is your ex?!”

“Yes, Jax! Okay?!” Harper shouted, turning to him as she tossed her hands in the air. “Yes. Nico Alvarez is my ex and Kacey dated Bastien Morales, Nico’s best friend…” She took another moment before she added, “He’s the one…Who’s car she shot up…She caught him cheating on her and beat the shit out of the dumb bitch, then shot up his car.”

Jax sighed and rubbed his face with a groan, beginning to pace his kitchen before stopping to lean against the counter. He braced his hands on the edge and stared at the floor for a minute before he looked up at her. “So why were you two so freaked out by Marcus?” He asked, his tone very unforgiving. Harper chewed her lip as she shifted and said, “The bitch she beat up was Sara Alvarez, Jax! Nico’s sister, Marcus’ niece! Marcus found out and told us to get out of Mayan territory and stay out! Why do you think we moved to Charming?! Because of the homely small town feel? No!”

“So, what? You found out about us and just decided we’d be good protection?!” Jax asked, taking a few steps closer to her. Harper shook her head and scoffed at him.

“I can’t believe you’d say that to me, Jax. I didn’t mention Alvarez because I never thought we’d stick around long enough for it to be an issue!” Harper shouted. She shook her head again and headed for the door, saying, “I never should have come here…”

As Harper turned to leave, Jax grabbed her arm and said, “No. Hey. We’re gonna talk about this, Harper! This is a big deal, okay? You dated his fuckin’ nephew, Harper! This information we should have known, _I_  should have known!”

“Why, Jax?! Why?!” Harper shouted, ripping her arm away from him. “It’s not like this was going to be a long term thing anyway.”

Harper quickly walked out, leaving Jax alone with her comment. He rubbed his face and sighed, grabbing his keys off the table and going to his room to look for his Kutte. Despite her past, Jax cared about her, a lot more than he was willing to admit and with his own trainwreck of bad relationships, he was gonna make this one work. But by the time he’d gotten out the door, Harper was already backing out of the driveway.

“Harper! Hey!” Jax called. Harper ignored him and sped down the street, tears streaming down her face as she headed home. She just prayed Kacey wasn’t home. As she rode home, she finally noticed that Jax was trailing her, trying to keep up with her without running into the cops, always a few blocks behind her. Annoyed and hurt, she started going down random streets, trying to shake him off. Jax managed to finally come up alongside her and shouted, “Pull over!”

“Fuck off!” Harper shouted back.

“Harper! Pull over! Now!” Jax called. Harper only jammed the throttle and sped up, continuing to try and shake Jax, managing to lose him at a red light. Once she was sure he was no longer behind her, Harper slowed down and got back on the right route home as the sun started to set. She’d been gone all day and she was exhausted. But she prepared herself for another argument or a panic attack from Kacey as she turned onto her street.

_Please, don’t let her be home._

~


End file.
